Never say Never: Chapter 1
Ok, so I was listening to that Kirsty McColl song when I started writing this. Review!
"Thank
you for the days
those
endless days, those sacred days you gave me"
Lucia sang quietly, running the razor smoothly along her pale calf. She ran her finger down the smooth skin and smiled. Perfect.
"Lucia! We need to leave in ten minutes." Kaitlynn, her mother, called from the next room. Lucia swore quietly. She still had to dry her hair, brush her teeth and find something to wear. Not to mention she had only one hairless leg currently.
"Uh... Can we leave in 20 minutes?" She looked around the bathroom desperately, trying to find her toothbrush. She ran the razor up her other leg, cutting her ankle. "Shit." She swore again.
"Lucia- ladies don't say that word." How did she do that?
"Uh...sorry. How about those 20 minutes?" Lucia poked her head out of the bathroom, to find her mother standing there, a dress draped over her arm, her eyes covered.
"You've been putting this off for a whole year. Do you really expect me to put it off again? And anyway- Oh for God's sake Lucia! What have you done to your ankle?" Kaitlynn mopped anxiously at her daughter's bleeding ankle.
"The razor slipped." Lucia pulled away, pulling the dress over her head and pulling her damp hair into a ponytail. Her mother span her around.
"Lucia," She looked sternly at her, and then smiled slightly."My darling," She pulled her into a hug, smelling the lemon and rose shampoo on her hair."I know you hate this, but we have to." Kaitlynn pulled a handkerchief awkwardly from her sleeve, and wiped away the tears pooling in her eyes.
"I know. I do. It's just... I didn't think it would ever really happen." Lucia rested her head on her mother's shoulder. She remembered sadly the days when she could barely reach her mother's shoulder- now, she had to bend down, and she felt so stiff. Where it had once been comfortable, it was now awkward.
"Yes, well. There we go." Kaitlynn cursed the tears in her eyes, and pushed her daughter gently away, inspecting the olive dress hanging delicately off her slim form."Yes- you'll do nicely." she smiled; trying to blink away the sadness she was sure was evident on her face.
Lucia smiled, and turned away from her mother. She hated the next part- the part where they had to leave.
"Is Becca going to be there?" She asked politely, applying a little blusher to her pale cheeks.
"Oh Lucia, you really don't need all that make-up, you know. And, when I last spoke to Hilda, Becca is going to be there." Kaitlynn pulled the brush away, and applied the last strokes to Lucia's cheeks.
"Well, at least I'll have a friend." Lucia muttered, trying to move as little as possible.
"And you girls mustn't tease Malcolm this summer. He's finding it hard enough choosing one of you as it is."
"Well, perhaps if he didn't tease us!" Lucia snapped, exasperated."Is this whole process really necessary? Can't he just marry some stranger and be done with it? I don't even like him!"
"Good thing it doesn't matter who you like then, isn't it?" Kaitlynn replied briskly, snapping the lid of the make-up shut."You'll marry who you're told, young lady, and that'll be an end to it. Vivian and I just thought it would be better if you like each other first. But if you'd rather I just married you two, that can be arranged too..." Lucia whirled around.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Watch me." The two glared at each other for a moment, before Lucia relented, and walked into her bedroom.
"Fine. But it won't work. I can't love him. Believe me, I've tried." She pulled her sandals on, smirking at the memory.
"Did I say anything about love? No. You just need to get along." She grasped her daughter by the shoulders."A lot rests on you, my dear. Please try. Please." The look in her mother's eyes frightened Lucia, and she nodded stiffly. Her mother smiled."Good girl. The carriage will be here in a minute. Hurry up." She paused at the door, looking at her daughter. She really was too young to be married, but she needed to be- for the good of the kingdom.