Maria Collins is smart and beautiful. She is 17 and she is in love.
Howard Stark is everything Maria dreamt of. He is like a prince of one of his fairy tale stories. Attractive, charming and rich. An excellent match for an Upper East Side princess like her.
She met him at a ball, and he asked her to dance, with that charming smile of his. He make her laugh all night long, introduce him to Capitan Rogers, a shy looking soldier who blush when Maria said hi to him and after leaving Rogers and walking together in the garden, Howard sweared to her she was the most beautiful girl he has ever met and that she should marry him.
Maria did not think that the man was being serious. In fact after he politely said goodbye to her she thought she will never see him again.
Today is her wedding day. The courtship start the very next morning and after 6 months he had asked her hand in marriage. Her father was worried about she being to young, but her mother was ecstatic.
"Besides darling, the war is at our doors. Maria should marry before Howard is called to serve his country" her mother had said to his father and the man had agreed. He had married Maria´s mother in similar conditions, many years ago.
Maria looks at her reflection and thinks she has never look so pretty and probably never will she, it is after all the best day of her life.
And everything is perfect. Her dress is a Dior which came directly from Paris, the ceremony is at St Patricks and the reception will be at the Metropolitan Museum. All the important people is there, she can swear she saw the president.
There is only a little tiny small detail that is bugging her.
Is silly really. Should not bother her at all.
Howard has never said he loves her. She has said "I Love you" after one month of knowing the man, and he only kissed her on reply, the same each time she said it.
But if he did not love her, she will not be marrying her, will he?
Her mother once told her that love is for commoners. Love is an ideal, which they think exist, to fill their common simple lives. But people like Maria , they were royalty, they have a purpose and a responsibility, where there is no place for silly feelings like love. Which Maria thought was very sad and also thought is was a load of bullshit (Maria cringes, she never swears) because in the stories Elena, Jarvis´ wife always read to her, princesses married with their true love, because love is the most powerful force in the world.
Suddenly the door opens and one of the maids announces it is time. Maria smiles and gets ready to become a woman, to become Maria Stark.