The sun was setting, and most would be either sad that the day was ending, or glad that another day could begin. One girl, however, was neither. A day was simply a day, no matter what happened. As she stared into the setting sun from the balcony just outside of her room, she pondered as she normally does -as it's one of her favorite pastimes- about what people who had the ability to make their own choices were doing. Being the only child of the prestigious Heartfilia family, her life was a timeline that her father wrote out for her, hence her wondering what it was like to make her own choices.
No sooner had she started, a loud knocking at the large wooden door leading outside of her room ripped her from her thoughts.
"Lucy, your father wants you! Open up! He says it's of the utmost importance!" the small, feminine voice wheezed. 'Seems like father scared her into running all the way across the mansion' Lucy thought.
She walked to the door and opened it to find a young boy of about eight looking as if he was about to faint from exhaustion. 'So she's a he. One of the new servants, no doubt.' Lately, her father had made it a hobby of his to fire servants for making the smallest mistakes and rehiring new servants to terrify.
"Please," the boy gasped, "come quickly". Lucy shut the door behind her and followed the boy all the way across the huge mansion and into her fathers' study. Her father waved his hand to dismiss the young servant, and he rapidly obliged, practically running from the room and nearly slamming the door behind him. She had no clue why, but the sound seemed to give a sense of finality, of an unknown impending doom.
"So father, what did you need me for?"
The man stood up and turned to look out the window, his hands clasped behind his back. He remained silent for what seemed like an eternity, and then another eternity, before he finally spoke.
"Next week, you are going to marry the Duke of Hargeon."
Lucy felt as if she had been punched in the face, and then her stomach twisted in disgust.
"But father, he is easily three times my-"
"SILENCE!"
She jumped, not expecting him to interrupt her, much less shout.
Turning around, her father glared and raised his finger to point at her accusingly.
"You" He spat," have no right to speak" He strode to his desk and sat down with a flourish.
"You are also to stay in your room until the ceremony. Your meals will be brought to you by the servants. Am I clear?"
Lucy stared at him, with tears brimming in her eyes.
"AM. I. CLEAR!"
"Yes." Lucy managed to choke out. "Yes Father."
"Good. You're dismissed to your room."
Lucy, determined to maintain some dignity, walked out of the study with her shoulders back and her head high, despite the wobble in her step or the tears shining in her eyes. As the door closed, did the only thing she could. She ran to her room across the mansion. When she arrived several minutes later, she fell to her bed and cried.
She cried for her dignity, she cried for freedom, but most of all… She cried for the life she was now determined to escape.