Herald Henry Haddock the Third was getting married. Who's the lucky bride? Heather Brown of course! Their wedding was supposed to be perfect; however, fate has other plans. What happens when a blonde haired woman comes running into the chapel, fainting in the middle of the isle? Who is she? Where did she come from? Well, she's Astrid Haddock of course… wait what?

ENGAGEMENTS

AVtwlight

Prologue

"Why don't you just tell me how you feel?" she asked, almost begged, him as he began to walk away from her. Desperate, she ran and hung on to his arm, as he tried desperately to release himself of her hold. "Please! I'm so tired of looking for answers which aren't there. I just want to help you, but you won't let me! I'm so tired of begging…"

"Why don't you just leave, then, if that's the case?" he spat, finally pushing her off him. He glared at with such an intensity her knees began to wobble. Her faded, worn out sapphire blue eyes let out waterfalls as salty tears burned trails down her sunken cheeks. She quickly made to wipe them away when she saw his face turn into one of disgust.

"I'm sorry," she began shakily, her legs beginning to give out on her. She continued on, trying to stop her crying. "I'm sorry if I did something wrong… I'm sorry if I'm not enough. But please. Please, I love you! I love you so much, and I want you – I need you to see that. My heart still aches for you, after all these years." Her tears did not stop. He still glared at her, and he still looked at her with nothing in his eyes. With a sniffle, she concluded, "I love you; I love you so much it hurts me to see you like this! To see us like this!"

"Then leave," he repeated, his voice nonchalant. He turned away from her.

She cried out in anger, and grabbing the nearest thing – a vase – she threw it at him with so much force it caused him to fall on his knees, the porcelain cracking with a sickening sound on the floor behind him. She gasped at what she had done and seemed to cry harder. She heard sobs as well, and she moved to kneel next to him, and embraced him. She held onto him tightly, for fear he would let go.

Both cried in the coldness of their hug, and time seemed to move slower as their hearts broke. Finally, he pushed her away, albeit forcefully, and stood. She stared at him, and he gazed at her, tear stains on their cheeks. The words he said next haunted her for the rest of her life:

"I hate you. We were never meant to be."

And he left. She let him. There was nothing left to do, and nothing left to say. Though, there were problems left unsolved, and she hated that. Glancing at her left ring finger, she let out an anguished cry. She removed the golden ring which lay upon her fourth finger and threw it at the wall in front of her. She cried for a few moments more.

When she could cry no more, she stood shakily, and walked over to where the ring lay, shining as bright as ever. She kneeled and picked it up, placing it back on her finger. "I promised myself I would help you." She kissed the ring. "... And I will fulfill that promise."

A/N: Hey! Thanks for taking the time to read this here prologue. Here's a bit more information about the story in case you're wondering. So, this is a Modern AU of course. Originally I planned to have the setting in high school or something, but it seemed so unoriginal and cliché. I began to then rewrite the whole plot and have it while they're in their early thirties. So that means they're waaaay out of high school. Hehe…

~ AV