Well, this is our joint account, created due to many uhh… great efforts by reviewers to make one! -.-" Anywho, thanks for reading again, if you are, and if this is your first time reading, Strawberry-chan wrote this chapter, and Keeper of Yoh-chan wrote the second and so on and so on.
Just My Luck
Written by Keeper of Yoh and Strawberry Promises
Anna is thrown into a marriage lottery where spouses are chosen by chance. The Prince, her husband-to-be, is abusive so Anna flees. He captures her but not before she meets someone she thought a commoner: his younger brother!
Chapter One: Participating in the Lottery
Anna looked around her little farm. It was hard work being a farmer's daughter. Too bad that Anna didn't like work, because her damn father made her do it anyways!
And it wasn't even her real father. Her so called loving parents left her at the bottom of the fountain in Central Square. But Anna didn't like thinking of them.
She clenched her fists and shook her head trying to forget the awful memories.
Her mind settled on something else. Rather, someone else. That strange man she saw a couple days ago while she was getting water from the well.
He was tall with brown hair. He wore rough cotton spun shirts and breeches but had the air of a noble around him. He was odd.
The man had a strange grin on his face. It was always there. Anna felt the urge to slap it off his face. She noticed who he was talking to.
Tamao, the Tao's cook. Ren Tao was a noble around these parts. He and his wife Pirika lived just a mile from Anna and her foster family.
Although Anna was at the age to start liking someone (nineteen), she didn't.
Anna started to walk to the village. Her "mother" wanted some medicinal herbs and commanded Anna to get them.
There he was again! That man… He wore similar clothes as before but Anna caught a glint of something shiny. A crest…? No. It was gone now. Must have been something of her imagination.
Whatever. Anna dismissed the strange man from her thoughts. Walking towards the apothecary, she passed an alley. It was dark and foreboding; everything a deserted alley would be.
But Anna noticed something… two people? Her eyes grew wide. She knew one of them! That was Jeanne! The man was raping her!
Without thinking of anything, Anna rushed in and pulled his hair hard and pushed him off her. Anna immediately turned to her friend. Unnoticed, the rapist ran off.
Jeanne was whimpering and tears streamed down her face. Anna put her arms around her and hugged her, whispering comfortingly.
Soon, she was calmed. Anna asked her if she was ok. Jeanne nodded hesitatingly.
"Did you know that man?" Anna asked her.
Jeanne bit her lip and remained silent.
That continued whenever Anna tried to question her. In the end, she just gave up.
Jeanne had gotten up and walked in the direction of her house and thanked Anna before he had come.
Anna got up herself and turned to walk out of the alley only to find that strange noble/commoner watching her.
"That was very courageous of you." He said in a deep voice. Anna had never been so close to him before. She noticed his dark eyes, holding slight amusement and approval.
"T-Thank you." She murmured, confused. What was this feeling he stirred in her?
He grinned with a lightness she did not expect and took her hand in his. "Your deeds will not be forgotten, brave lady." He kissed her hand and bowed.
With that, he turned away, his cloak rustling behind him as he strode off.
Anna was blushing. She lifted a hand to her cheek, to find it warm. What did he mean by that? Why was she feeling this way?
Anna shook her head. No one was supposed to make her feel this way. Hadn't she already learned that lesson? She closed her eyes, trying to forget.
That romance was in the past. Anna didn't want to think of him. No, that is over. I don't want to think of him. I don't want to think of his betrayal. It's all in the past.
But even as she thought that, unwelcome memories rose.
He gently placed his fingers under her chin, his golden eyes full of sadness. "I'm sorry," he was saying.
Anna didn't want to hear his words, his apologies. He hadn't loved her, he never did!
She turned away and felt his gaze on her back. "Good-bye, Anna," was his last words to her.
She sighed heavily, a tear coursing down her cheek, and she wiped it away, vowing then and there, never to fall in love again.
Anna looked down finding her fist clenched. Her brow furrowed. There were two hairs… of a rich brown color.
She supposed it was from when she pulled that man off Jeanne. That's funny… they were the same color of that strange man's hair…
Anna returned home late with the herbs her foster mother had sent her for. She in turn received a beating from her father but all Anna could think about was Jeanne and that odd man.
Why wouldn't Jeanne answer her questions? Who was that man? What… Why…
The questions swirled around in her head, and when she could come up with no answers, Anna fell into a deep and heavy sleep.
She woke up to the brightness of dawn and rubbed her eyes blearily.
Finishing up her chores, Anna proceeded to the market for some supplies. She passed some girls squealing delightedly about some rouge and other make up on a table. She scoffed. Anna had no time for things like that. AN: Strawberry here! Have you seen the Inuyasha ep. of when Kikyo and Inuyasha first met? Ep. 147-148? When Kikyo passed the girls cooing over the make up? This part is like that.
Turning her head the other way, Anna saw a couple of soldiers talking. Wondering what was happening, she wandered over. She didn't come too close to see who the soldiers were but she caught the words, "lottery", "marriage", and "luck".
Anna didn't dwell on it for long. People were always coming up with things like this to get money.
She bought the things she needed and started off for home. That was when she noticed that man again. What was he always doing? A blush rose, but Anna fought it down. She dismissed him also.
She looked the other way, and saw her foster mother walking calmly away from the soldiers she saw earlier with a smirk on her face.
Anna frowned. What was she doing?
The next day, Anna was determined to confront her foster mother. What was she doing with those soldiers?
But as soon as she got up, and finished her chores (for her parents wouldn't let her near them if she wasn't finished), a knock came at the door.
Curiosity rising, Anna made her way to the door and opened it. Much to her surprise, soldiers of the realm were at the front door.
Her mouth hung open.
"Are you Kyouyama Anna?" One of them asked her in a gruff voice.
"We are ordered to take you to the castle." The other one answered to her silence.
The castle? The Asakura Castle?! Why was she being taken there?!
"Wha--" Anna said but was interrupted by her foster mother.
"Ah, yes, gentlemen. Here are her belongings. You are free to take her." Anna turned to her "okaa-san" and stared angrily at her.
"What is this about!?" she demanded.
"Why the marriage lottery, of course." Her mother said with the air of indifference.
"Marriage lottery…?" Anna muttered.
"It is a new thing that the royal advisors had come up with. Every eligible young maiden, that is of age and unattached will be paired to someone and wed." The soldier said.
"What?!" Anna could hardly believe it.
Her foster mother just shrugged. "Have fun, dear." She said, putting an emphasis on 'dear'.
Then she turned and walked back into the house, leaving Anna to struggle with the soldiers alone.
"You can't take me!" She declared and stuck her chin out stubbornly.
"We're on the Crown Prince's orders to take every maiden." The soldier said, eyes narrowing.
"If you don't come willingly, we will be forced to make you." The other added.
Although Anna didn't like it, she knew that in the end, she would come along, willingly or not. She was scared of these men, and hated the feeling.
Pressing her lip together tightly she narrowed her eyes. "I'll come, but if you lay one finger on me, or any of the other girls, you will regret it."
She brushed passed them with fists clenched.
The soldiers caught up with her and pushed her towards a wagon full of other girls.
She glared at them and climbed into the wagon.
"Anna? Is that you?" Anna looked up, astonished at the speaker.
"T-Tamao?"
"Anna!" Tamao flung herself at her friend and sobbed. "They made me come!! I didn't want to go!"
Anna was shocked. She didn't think she would see anyone she knew. "But I thought you were engaged!"
"Tohru broke it off!!" Tamao said with a sad look.
"Oh, Tamao, it's ok." Anna said, trying to comfort her.
She nodded hesitatingly. "They say that the Prince himself if going to be in this lottery as well!" Tamao said, converting to gossip mode.
Anna smiled. "Maybe you'll end up with him, Tamao." She joked.
Tamao smiled as well. At least she wasn't crying.
Anna gasped as the wagon started to move. They were off… each girl to her own destiny…
Author's Note:
Strawberry Promises: Hi mina!! How did you like the chapter? Too fast? I know… Whelps, I was writing this chapter, so the ending is from me! The next chapter will be written by Keeper of Yoh so the ending note will be from her! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed and review please!