Chapter 1

Emma sighed as she tried to finish her needlepoint for the night. It was dusk and soon she would loose the light from her window. Her father tapped on the door.

"Emma! Are you ready to eat?"

"Yes Father" She called back thru the door. He opened the door. Her father, once extremely handsome, was now at the point where his age had finally hit him. His once brown hair was now lined with gray and his stomach could stand to loose a few inches.

"We need to hurry. You need to eat and be back in your room before eight tonight."

She sighed and stood. Emma could hardly forget about this man of power coming to dinner tonight to find a bride amongst her sisters.

But not her. She was too weak to be a choice.

Emma and her father walked down to the dinning room that had been completely transformed to impress this man coming tonight.

She took her seat and began to eat the meal placed in front of her. Emma was the only one eating this early, for her other sisters were getting ready for tonight and she was not to join them later. Only her other sisters who were worthy to be this mysterious mans wife.

Emma looked at her father after a few moments. "Father, why can't I at least join the family for dinner?"

Her father sighed behind his paper. "Emmaline, we have been thru this. Only your sisters are dining tonight because this man is searching for a possible wife here."

Emma felt hurt but angry at the same time. "And I'm not worthy to even be in his presence?"

Her father slammed down the paper on the table. "Damn it, Emmaline! I'm trying to as gently as I can here! Look at you!" Emma winced. "Your weak! You're too thin, pale, and hardly able to stand! Having a child would kill you! I'm sorry, but no man would want you!"

Emma felt tears come to her eyes. She knew all this to be true, but for her father to scream all of this at her as if it was all her fault burned her heart. She stood and faced her father.

"I'm sorry to be such an embarrassment, Father. I'll leave you to your task at hand."

Before her father could react, she ran from the room, her father screaming her name. By the time she reached her room, Emma was out of breath and she was dizzy. She sat at her small vanity table and looked at her reflection.

Emma had never considered herself to be a real beauty, but she never thought her features were all that unpleasant. Her large blue eyes always stood out in anything she attempted to wear. Her long raven hair traveled well passed her back. She never saw a need to cut it, for her father never gave her an occasion to.

She sighed and let small tears escape her eyes. Her family had never known why she was born like this. She was always naturally weak and thin. Any kind of hard labor made her pass out and the smaller ones made her short of breath. She was cursed, as far as Emma was concerned.

Never to marry…

Never to have children…. All because her father wouldn't allow her to.

Emmaline buried her face in her hands and began to sob…

…

Eric sat back in the carriage with a sigh.

"Why am I having dinner with him again?" He asked wearily to him companion.

"Because, sire, He has six beautiful daughters. All of whom are very anxious to meet you and possibly become your bride!" Jack, Eric's servant, exclaimed.

Eric sighed again. "I suppose."

How he was supposed to find a proper bride here, he wasn't sure. Especially a human one!

"Have you been well fed tonight, sire?" Jack asked

"I'm fine."

The rest of the trip to the lords home was a silent one. Eric made an attempt to look both royal and handsome (Both forced upon him by Jack). His dark hair hung around his face. Green eyes piercing the darkness. His appearance enticed women before, and with going to a house full of women, he was praying that none of them would tackle him…