Disclaimer: Don't own anything besides the idea.

Bear with my through this chapter please.

"What?!" I basically never yelled, but it was such a surprise and shock, that I did.

"You are having an arranged marriage…" My mother said and again, I looked at her as if she was the craziest person I ever met.

"When did you decide this???" I was panicking, I mean, who wouldn't? I was getting an arranged marriage!

"Before you were born, the contract was made by your father because he didn't think he would trust you with anyone else." Well, at least she didn't do it behind my back…but still, an ARRANGED MARRIAGE????

"Why now?" I was calming down, but I was still demanding the details of this contract.

"Because you just turned 16, and that was the age your father decided on." Oh, well I did just celebrate my 16th birthday a week ago…. And now I had to ask the most important question.

"To whom am I marrying to?"

We were having a ball tonight just for the announcment of the engagment. This was actually going to be the first meeting between my soon-to-be spouse and I. It's only been a few days since mom told me. I think I'm still in shock but I still have to look good tonight. Mr. Elegante designed a beautiful pale pink dress, and I was actually kind of nervous to be meeting my spouse. I just hope he wasn't a snobby, stuck-up prince.

I was angry about marrying this prince too. Even if arranged marriages were common, I didn't like the thought of being married to a person I didn't even know. And what about a honeymoon, would we have one? We aren't even in love, why would we just jump in the bed and do that. I wouldn't enjoy having a stranger explore my body and touch me where ever he pleases. Just the thought of it made me shudder.

I guess I was lost in thought because sooner than I hoped, it was time for the ball. The special dining room and the dance floor were decorated beautifully. It was almost non-recognizable because we rarely used the dining room. Each family had a single table (two if they had a big family) but there was one single table that was different than the others and that's where mom and I were sitting. I assumed it was also for the family I was marrying into but I wasn't sure.

I walked around the ball, greeting all the families that came before my mom called me to meet someone. There a man standing next to my mom but he looked pretty young but somewhere around his early 30s or so, and mom said the person I was marrying was the same age as me.

"Rosalinda, I'd like you to meet Major Mason." My mom introduced, once I reached them.

"Hello, Major Mason." I greeted politely.

"Hey, Rosalinda, no need for formalities though. You can call Joe or Dad since you're going to be my daughter in-law soon!" Joe Mason greeted enthusiastically and kindly.

I just smiled in return as he smiled back. He seemed so excited to have his son married to me. Speaking of which, where was he? I didn't see anyone near our table…so where could he be? My thoughts were interrupted when someone tapped me on my shoulder.

"Hey Rosalinda, want to dance?" A guy named Donny asked. He was a prince that was renowned for being a player. I didn't like him an ounce but I had to accept since I had to dance eventually and I might as well now.

"Sure." I said before he pulled me onto the dance floor. We waltzed for a while before he pulled me really close to him, and tried to kiss me.

I quickly avoided him and muttered an excuse me before losing him in the crowd of people already gathered. I wanted to have a nice break from the dance so I went back to our table where my mom and Mr. Mason were seated. They were talking but I didn't see any sign of my mystery spouse. I saw an opportunity to ask when they stopped talking but I whispered to my mom.

"Where's he?" I whispered vaguely since I knew, she knew what I was talking about.

"I don't know." My mom whispered back and Mr. Mason's phone started ringing. He excused himself for a bit and came back a short while later.

He asked us to come with him to the garden and we politely agreed. I was wondering why we came here but soon I knew the answer. Standing there was a person had their hair up in a ponytail, wearing a suit that looked like it was on the border of casual and formal, a Caribbean blue tie, nice black polished shoes, and a black fedora with a Caribbean blue stripe around it.

"Queen Sophia, Princess Rosalinda, I'd like you to meet my son, Carter Mason." Mr. Mason introduced.

Carter…somehow that name seemed to roll off of my tongue. Carter was a tad taller than me, and by the look of his build, he was the athletic type. My mom was currently greeting Carter but I just watched him. So this was the guy I was marrying?

"And you must be Princess Rosalinda…" Carter said with a dashing smile.

He was handsome, but something was off. I felt like he was hiding something but I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe I'm just being too skeptical, or something. Oh right, I still have to say hi.

"Hello…Carter." I gave a small smile to which he just smiled right back.

"Well, we should get inside, they're about to start serving dinner." My mom said as she ushered us back inside.

We sat down on the table Major Mason and my mom next to me while Carter sat across from me. When the food came, Mr. Mason just talked with my mom and Carter just ate. I kept staring at him; it was like something pulled my eyes to him. Then Carter looked up and I knew I was caught staring. I felt my face heat up and I looked back down at the food. I was blushing but I just silently ate my food. And when I looked back up, she's smiling at me with a smirk.

Soon, everyone was leaving and I managed to sneak out into the garden. My mom was outside saying goodbye to the guests at the main entrance. I was just walking around looking at all the beautiful flowers when suddenly; someone pushed me into the wall hard. It hurt a lot and when I saw Donny's face, I knew I was in trouble.

"Get off me, Donny!" I wanted to scream but I knew it would just worsen the situation. No one was around to hear me anyway.

"You're going to come with me, whether you like it or not!" The smell of his breath reeked of alcohol. I couldn't retaliate considering the situation I was in. I tried to push him back but he only slammed me against the wall harder.

"Get off!!" I was getting desperate as I felt tears run down my face.

"Cry all you want, no one's going to save you." He smirked and I knew he was getting a kick out of this. All of a sudden, I heard a sickening crack and he ended up on the ground. And before I knew it, I had fallen into someone's arms. They felt so warm, strong, and safe that I wanted to stay there forever. As I looked up, I saw Carter glaring at Donny who was now on the floor, unconscious.

"Are you ok?" His gaze softened and his thumb wiped the tears off my cheek.

"Uh…" I said testing my voice. "Y-yes, thank you." He slowly let go of me and I tried to walk but I was a bit dizzy so I fell into his arms again. That's not good right?

"Um…how about I let you sit here for a bit, while I get some guards?" Carter put me on a bench as I nodded, and with that he ran to get some guards.

I just sat there trying to focus but only succeeding in worsening my dizziness. I felt like I was about to fall asleep when Carter came back with the guards.

"Try to stay awake, okay?" His soft voice said as he lifted me up bridal style. I just nodded before resting my head on his shoulder.

I tried my hardest to stay awake and when we made it to our personal doctor I was relieved. The doctor just said that I was fine, a couple of bruises and a minor concussion, but with a good night's sleep I should be okay plus the dizziness was wearing off. To my surprise, Carter sat through it all and had concern/worry painted all over his face. Why would he be concerned? I mean, he just met me after all.

After the doctor's examination, Carter and I just sat there for a while before he got up. I was expecting him to leave when he tentatively put his hand on my back and took his other arm slipped underneath my knees. I realized that he was about to pick me up again and put my arms around his neck before he lifted.

"So, where's your bedroom?" Carter inquired, standing at the bottom of the staircase unaware of where to go.

"Upstairs, turn right and at the very end turn left." Funny I think this was the most we had an actual conversation. Well, if you consider asking directions a conversation.

He carried me upstairs which made me ponder how heavy I was. I mean I'm an average weight for a girl, right? He seemed to lift me with ease but does that mean I was really light or he was just really strong. I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt myself put on a soft cushion.

"You should get some rest…" Carter said as he looked me straight in the eyes. Somehow, I felt lost in his eyes. I felt so safe with him; it didn't make sense at all. He started turning around and walking when I suddenly grabbed his hand, a spark flowing through me and a tingly sensation in stomach, the instant I did.

"W-wait, please stay with me?" The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop myself. His face had surprise and shock all over it, I was regretting actually asking.

"Um…sure, I will." He said his face breaking into a smile. He pulled a chair next to my bedside and sat there, watching me.

I said a small thank you and he reached over to the lamp to shut it off. It was funny; Carter had a few feminine traits even though he was a guy. Like he had long hair and though he kept it in a ponytail, there were still loose parts of it. His face was bit feminine too, like his eyes and his lips. I shut my eyes in attempt to fall asleep and soon enough, I did.

I awoke at 8 o' clock always. It was something I have always done and today was no exception. What was different, however, was I felt someone holding my hand. I looked to the side to see Carter, still in his suit, holding my hand as he used his other arm as a pillow. He looked so peaceful and he was smiling too. I wonder what he was dreaming about…. I guess I unconsciously reached out to touch his face because when I looked up; my hand was stroking his cheek. Wow, his cheek was so soft and smooth.

"Morning." I literally jumped in surprise, so a few seconds later I ended laying on the floor with a concerned Carter looking down at me. Luckily, there was a thick carpet to soften the impact but it still hurt a little from the bruises from last night. Well, that was embarrassing.

"Are you ok?? Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Carter said as he extended his hand.

"It's okay and I'm fine, no worries." I said reaching for the hand, blushing.

He probably saw it because his expression turned into an amused one as he helped pull me up.

"Well, we should probably go downstairs, breakfast is ready." I seemed to notice now that he was taller than me by one or two inches. And did he smell my morning breath?? I should probably run to my bathroom now.

"I'm going to run to the bathroom first. You can head downstairs first, if you want." I said as I walked towards the bathroom door.

A few minutes later, I arrived at the dining table where only Carter was waiting. He didn't even start to eat yet, I suppose since he was waiting for me. He wasn't wearing his suit anymore but a red polo shirt and dark blue jeans. I wore a simple V-neck sky blue shirt, and a denim skirt.

I sat down and thanked him for waiting for me. He just smiled and started eating, while I dug in myself. I really didn't have anything to talk about with him. It was just too awkward knowing you were going to get married to this person you didn't even know.

"So…have a good night's sleep?" He inquired probably trying to break the tension between us.

"Yup, I feel like I'm bursting with energy." Wait a second… "Did you and your dad plan to stay here?"

"Yeah, your mom insisted on it so…we brought extra clothes and stuff."

"Sorry, about asking you to stay with me." I didn't actually think you were going to sleep there, though.

"Oh, it's fine. You're cute when you sleep." And cue the blushing!

He chuckled and continued eating while I kept blushing like an idiot. No more words were said after that and right after we finished eating, my mom and Mr. Mason came in.

"Hey pal!" Mr. Mason said, to Carter I assume. Carter stood up and Mr. Mason a slap on the back. Carter just smiled in return.

"Rosalinda, you should have fun with Carter today! Major Mason and I have some business to take care of." My mom said smiling at me.

"Carter, I expect you to treat her right, okay?" He said a playful smile on his face.

"Yeah, yeah dad." Carter said with an exasperated look.

Soon, we were left alone once again, the maids already taking the plates from our breakfast away. I really didn't know what we were going to do.

"So, where do you want to go?" I have no idea. That'd sound weird though right? I have no idea where I want to go.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Truthfully, I don't care much as long as I'm going with you." That sounded cheesy, but it was so nonchalant that I think it counteracted the cheesiness. Did that make sense? All I know is that I'm blushing! Again!

"How about we go to the garden?" I've always liked flowers, and loved learning about them when I was younger.

"Sure, you like flowers?" He asked as we started walking towards the garden.

"Yes, I do. They're so beautiful…."

"What's your favorite?"

"Well, I like all of them but my top three are Forget-me-nots, Roses, and Orchids."

"I see…"

Our garden was extremely big to just be called a garden. We walked through it as he asked what some of the flowers were, I answered and gave the flower meaning. Eventually we walked into the spice and herb garden, where occasionally I would stop and pluck a leaf/flower, and let Carter smell it. Other than a few informational lines for the garden, there was really nothing to say. Apparently, we were so stuck in our awkward tension; we didn't see how dark it was getting. It started to rain, hard, so we ran to a little house my mom and I used for leisure.

"It looks like we're going have to wait until the storm clears." I say looking out the window.

He nodded and we continued sitting in silence. Awkward silence. Think I keep saying awkward too much? Well if you were in my situation, you'd say it a lot too.

"Okay this is too much." Carter said looking at me. "You're aware, we're getting married right?" I nodded. "Well, I know it's really weird to marry someone you just met but how about we start of as friends?"

"That would be nice." I replied.

So in the end, we just asked random questions to get to know each other. He started it off and I followed but the thing was they also had to answer the question. Weird, I know.

"Favorite color? Mine's Blue."

"Red or Black."

"Funny, how we're wearing each other's favorite color, huh?" I glanced at his shirt then at mine and realized we were. That was strange….

"Yeah, it is," I added a small laugh. "Favorite Soda?"

"Root beer, yours?"

"Root beer too."

We started to learn a lot about each other and even if we had very few things in common, I felt like we just…clicked.

By the time the storm ended, we knew fairly everything about each other and it was about dinner time. I think we had our secrets though, I could tell by his eyes he was hiding something. I'm not sure what, but I guess we weren't that close yet. We walked back slowly, enjoying the fresh scent of the garden after the rain. Or at least, I was. I always liked the rain, I could play for hours in it but of course, I couldn't due to the risks of being sick.

We were just in time for dinner when we got back to the house. We chatted with my mom and Mr. Mason who was surprisingly very easy to talk to. They were really alike, Carter and Mr. Mason. They're personalities were the same but, they looked so different. I wonder what his mom looked like. Speaking of which, he never mentioned her but I never mentioned my dad either.

After that, Carter and I went to my room to watch movies in my room. We sat on the bed using the headboard to support our backs. We were watching a horror/thriller that Carter chose which wasn't very good news for me. I always hated horrors since I was always terrified. The movie was just starting and I jumped/screamed at least 10 times. And every time I did, I heard a chuckle from Carter and if he didn't chuckle he would smile or have amusement in his eyes. About thirty minutes into the movie, I jumped into Carter's lap.

He looked surprised and I was about to apologize when he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. My head was now on his shoulder due to the height difference, and my heart was beating like crazy. I had no idea why though, and frankly it was scaring me. When I had the courage to glance at his face secretly, he was looking down at me with a look of adoration? I shook the thought of my head and went back to watching the movie. But I couldn't focus, not when Carter was making my stomach erupt with butterflies and my skin tingle from the skin contact. Every time I stared at the screen, my thoughts would just wander back to the person holding me. I eventually gave up, leaning into his shoulder and his embrace, drifting into sleep.

Um, so if you reached this far, I have to say thanks for reading. I know this chapter was really boring and lacks a lot of details (this is probably the longest chapter I am ever going to write), but I needed to write certain things to go forward and I'm a lazy bum. It'll probably stay in Rosie's POV because there are a lot of things that Rosie will find out later. I'll try to update ASAP but I might not be able to get a chapter up that quickly. To be honest, I'm just writing from the top of my head. Lots of secrets involved in this story. I don't think I can humor you guys so don't expect comedy from me. And uh, I'll try with the fluff; any tips? Anyways, leave a review please. It helps a lot and you can review anonymously. But I prefer you use your accounts, for the sole reason that I can actually reply back. I don't really care though, so please review away. Hope you enjoyed!