This was her chance, she believed. She could finally dance, she could sing. She could really do whatever she pleased. Oh, but what would everyone say? It didn't really matter anymore.
"This is my chance to get out. I'm sorry Father, but I will not help you. I will be free of you. I will be free from all of this."
Her monologue was practiced until perfection, as nothing less would do for the daughter of a noble. She would make him see, she had to. If she failed, the sickness would eventually consume her, as well. There was no longer a dark cloud of doom hanging over them, it's tendrils of evil snaking into even the hidden corners of their lives. Yet, it seemed nothing could erase the memories. Those, they would have to live with forever. She could never forget the way her father turned his back on her as she became the plaything of their Lord. She would never forget the days of abuse, giving way to nights of abuse that seemed as if they would never end. Her best friend's mother sneaked potions to her to prevent impregnation while in the hands of this dark and sadistic man.
As she sat on her beautiful king sized bed with it's silk linens, the memories burned her flesh. She supposed people thought she would accept the arranged marriage between her and her best friend, but really that was all they ever could be. She did not love the breathtakingly beautiful blonde with grey eyes as a lover should. No, she loved him as a friend. Besides, a certain emerald eyed maniac had won his heart during the war. This did not leave her alone, as she had found love herself. Completely accidentally.
She had always believed that money was the answer to everything. Money brought power and fame to her family. It bought the gorgeous clothes and robes she owned and the luscious linens she was currently perched on. But money could never buy her the love she craved. Arranged marriages were a sham, and infected the gene pool with diseases and the inability to bear children. No matter how many men her father had paraded before her, none of them could ever really love her. With every man she turned away from her bed, her father grew angrier. The list was growing shorter and she was running out of time. She wondered if her saviour would return for her, as he swore he would.
She smiled a small smile as she thought of the day he had saved her. It was nearing the end of the war, and captives were being freed, while traitors were being sent to prison. Her dungeon cell was a private one and most difficult to find. Her body was curled up on the freezing floor; emaciated and broken. She knew the Lord must be dead or severely injured because he had never missed a day of torture before. When the stone door at the end of the hall flew open, she closed her eyes tightly and waited. The steps echoed down the hall and then there was nothing. He had to be standing in front of her cell by now, but still there was nothing. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Her mouth opened in shock at the man on his knees in front of her cell. His eyes were closed and a lone tear trickled down his pale cheek. She watched as the tear hit the floor and the emotions were too much for the man to bear. The sliver of light from the end of the hall glinted off of his rusty locks as he tore the cell door away from its hinges. He covered her with his robe and whisked her off to the infirmary. As he turned to go he professed his deepest secret to her and swore he would return to ask for her hand in marriage.
Weeks had gone by, and there had been no contact from her most unexpected saviour. She was almost ready to give up, but there she was, still hanging by the barest of threads when the series of crashes downstairs drew her attention. Rushing down the hall she almost collided with her best friend and his mother. Her father was at the bottom of the stairs and in front of him stood the man she never thought she could love. With pieces of an antique vase all around him, he knelt with a diamond ring. She could feel her father's rage increase with each step she descended down the staircase. Reaching the bottom, she held out her hand. The redhead took it and slipped the ring on her hand. It fit her perfectly. The band was platinum with a large princess cut diamond in the center and a blue diamond on each side. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever laid eyes upon.
She turned to her father. It was then she said the words she had spent hours practicing in front of the mirror.
"This is my chance to get out. I'm sorry Father, but I will not help you. I will be free of you. I will be free from all of this. You invested your money in ludicrous plots with that hideous Lord of yours and you gave me to him as a payment. I will not help you get your money back any longer. Farewell, Father."
She no longer had to dream of dancing in fields of flowers because now, she could. There was hardly any chance of her living in a manor again, but their mansion atop a hill was more than enough to keep her satisfied. After all, she had found love in a man who never failed to remind her that she would always be safe and cared for throughout eternity. It may have been a complete accident that he was the one to find her, but it was not an accident that anyone could find a reason to regret.