Hai! Yes I finished the prologue and chapter 1 before posting it. Psha. Uhm I could use a little help I can't decide (not that it rly matters) what to call it, I wanted to call it: Please Take My Breath Away Yet I Suffocate. but that was too long for the thing so then I tried to do: Please Take My Breath Away - I'm Suffocating. Still too long. Now it's a battle between:
Take My Breath Away, I'm Suffocating
or
Take My Breath Away, I Can't Breathe
Any ideas/help/reviews about what I could call it cuz i honestly DONT KNOWW... and its a real dilemma for me. honestly i cant SLEEEP. hahaaa well ill just run into a wall and pass out to solve that problemm hehe.
But again reviews appreciated not necessary I dont wanna be a bitch. Uhmm lemme know what you think! And I hope you liek it :)
Chapter 1
"Faith!" I called to my best friend as I grabbed my books off my desk, "What are you doing later?"
"Uh, not a whole lot, my parents came all the way from Lothlorien to have some sort of family meeting. They just need to talk to me about something, wouldn't say what," She replied with a slightly quizzical look, like she was deep inside her own mind rummaging for ideas of what tonight's meeting would bring.
"Oh... Sounds mysterious," I smirked, "Okay well come by after the meeting and tell me all about it. Today is the last day of school for the rest of our lives and I will not let you escape a sleepover."
"Alright then! I'll tell you all about the mysterious meeting, they probably want me to go back home and clean the stables," She laughed sarcastically. Faith was of noble elf blood, she would never clean stables back at home, more like order people to clean them for her.
"Never! You can't escape me, not even to the Elven realms!" I said as I raised my arms dramatically and gave her a hug goodbye, "I'll see you later, tell me all about what your parents say!" I called back as we went our opposite ways home.
As I walked home I thought of many things; I thought of how I had turned 16 only a month ago and now that school ended, I would have to go and deal with my arranged marriage. I would have to honour my parent's one lifetime wish for me that they left behind, while taking care of my siblings and perhaps leaving me in misery in the company of a drab crusty old man. Though I assumed, hoped, that my parents had been quite a bit wiser than that in their choosing of my future husband.
I shook my head as I remembered my parents, the memory of them still fresh in my mind. My memories were like wounds, healing but still tender and they hurt like millions of little ice shards when poked.
I reached my home and opened the door to see a rush of light brown hair, light auburn hair and a jumbled mess of hands and feet.
"Danica!" Aria and Logan called at me, "You're home!" My siblings shrieked.
They always got like this, every day, every month and every year; every time I'd come home they would act like Christmas came early and I believed it might've been because one day, our father didn't come back and then soon after our mother died as well. I tried to do my best to care for them but ever since our parents died we've had our governess, Mary, taking care of us. She's nice and she's an amazing cook but I find I liked her less because she would never replace or bring back Mother.
Logan was 11 and had chin length straight light brown hair and light chalky soulful brown eyes to match where Aria was 7 and had long light auburn ringlets running down her back with big never-ending dark brown eyes. I however had sometimes straight but sometimes wavy, usually a mix of the two, caramel-bronze coloured hair with round chocolate eyes and full pastel pink lips.
"Leave your sister be, she has guests waiting in the living room," Our governess Mary looked pointedly at me then whispered once she had successfully shooed my siblings to their rooms, "Go get straightened up in your room then come back down, there are important matters to be discussed."
I looked at her in confusion but went to our washroom upstairs without a word and looked at myself in the mirror. I wore a dark blue and off-white corset dress that pushed my quite sizeable breasts up to within an inch of their life and that flowed down to almost cover my feet which emphasised my curvy hourglass figure while having long sleeves that slit to triangles at my wrists. I gazed at my tanned alabaster skin while searching for any sign of grime or dirt. My face was cleaned up and my caramel-bronze hair tied neatly back into a long braid which I put over my shoulder. My chocolate brown eyes lined with the usual kohl on my top lids. I designated myself presentable and made my way downstairs to meet whoever these mysterious guests were in my living room. Faith wouldn't be the only one who would have a story to tell tonight.
I reached the landing and turned into the doorway that led to the living room, I heard a few hushed voices and when I entered the room they stopped. Mary left the room with some mutters about going to see the young children and making tea while I sat down in a lounge chair near the fireplace. There was a woman, probably in her fifties with grey hair pinned in a tight bun sitting on the couch next to a man, also probably in his fifties, which chubby cheeks and a kind-hearted look about him and there was the last man, sitting farthest away from me and nearest to the door. His face looked pinched though he was probably only in his late thirties, he had dark brown hair that was greased back from his forehead. I instantly liked the chubby cheeked one best.
The woman with the grey pinned bun spoke, "We are here today to discuss your betrothal which is supposed to take place in your sixteenth year; you turned sixteen earlier this year yet we neglected to come fetch you sooner for we thought it wise to let you finish your education."
"Though now that you have finished your education," the man with the pinched face and the slicked back hair wheezed, "We are here to inform you of the proceedings that are to follow." I neglected to mention that I had only finished school today but I supposed that this was how it was for most people anyways; giving them an assumption of freedom only to be able to take absolutely all of it away. What do they think we're going to do? Go have sex with every willing man we see in front of us unless we get betrothed right out of school?
"What he means," added the chubby cheeked kind-looking one, "Is that you are to be sent to prepare for your courting and training, and then... Well and then your engagement." Courting? Training? Oh, so I have to get engaged to this guy but we get to have proper "get to know and flirt so we can fall in love even though we have to get married anyways" time? Yeah that wasn't weird at all, and I do not need training! What is this?
"So..." I said, hesitating, "What does that mean, exactly?"
"It means," said the old lady with the grey bun, "That we are sending you to Rohan, permanently. Unless you are permitted for a vacation, you will live there for the rest of your life. Tomorrow, your engagement will be announced and you will be gracious, polite and happy," she added with emphasis, "Then you will be courted, engaged and married."
I sat there in shock. My life was to pretty much end, more so my free will, tomorrow. For the rest of my life I would be bound to obey a man that I don't even know and I would have no choice about it. I started to panic and was about to scream at them that they were insane and there was no way I was going through with this when I remembered why. I had to do this for my siblings, whoever this man was, he was rich, and he would make sure they were taken care of and had an education. I had to do this, for them.
I sighed, "Alright. I understand, now I'm feeling quite tired from my last day of school," I mentioned pointedly, "...and I would appreciate some rest. I assume there will be a horse ready to take me there tomorrow?"
"You will have a carriage milady," said the chubby cheeked man, who looked sympathetic, "And an entourage of caretakers, if you like you may bring one person with you." I thought of Faith then dismissed the idea; she would probably be busy with whatever her parents were speaking to her about right now.
"I think I'll go alone, though leave the option open. I might choose to take someone." After all if what Faith was supposed to do wasn't that important who's to say I don't have the right to drag her along with me?
I stood up, "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'd like to rest for awhile."
"Of course," the man with the pinched face replied.
As I left the room I saw Mary, our governess, coming back from the children's rooms, probably going to talk to the people in the living room and make arrangements for tomorrow and the future of my siblings. I reached the landing and headed straight for my bedroom, it wasn't much but it was my home, and now I would never be able to go here again. I flopped down onto my bed facing the ceiling.
I couldn't remember how long I lay there but it wasn't until I heard a knock on the door that I realized tears were streaming down my face.
