Ghada was in the middle of taking a bath when she heard a bell ring in the distance, finding this odd as it was not a church day, Ghada got out of the bath wrapped herself up in a towel and glanced out the nearest window. Seeing nothing, she quickly got dressed for the day and left the bathroom.
Wycliff was marching down the hall when Ghada was going to her room, it was then when the strangest thing her father had ever done to this day occured. He stopped Ghada in the hall and asked her her opinion on something.
"Ghada, is what I'm doing wrong?"
Ghada cocked her head to one side to evaluate her gloomy looking father.
"What's wrong ?"
Wycliff heaved loudly and looked around to see if anyone else was coming. When he saw the empty hallway about him he decided to carry on.
" I've had an offer in advance for one of my daughters," said Wycliff, " He's offered to pay me the biggest fortune I've ever seen, but I just don't know if I like the man. He gives off the impression he won't take no as an answer and I just don't know what to do."
" Then don't do it father," stated Ghada simply.
Wycliff chuckled at the answer.
"I knew you would say something of the sort Ghada, but he would give me a lot of trouble. Trouble I don't know if I can afford," frowned Wycliff.
"Well who is he so smitten with that he's willing to pay for her in advance," said Leonora who had come out of her bedroom, in which they were standing right beside and apparently had heard everything.
Wycliff smiled at his now fifteen year old daughter.
" Well now that you mention it, he wants you."
Leonora looked shocked at the answer, but quickly regained her composure.
" Well what if I don't want to marry him? I'm only fifteen after all, it's not legalized until I'm eighteen!"
"I expected something like this from you, but personally I agree. I think you are far too bright for this man and it would be a waste of your talent to be stuck with him for the rest of your life."
Leonora looked at him with such happiness on her face that he would even care about her future after she married that Wycliff felt very guilty about what he was going to say next.
"Unfortunately, if he can't have you he wants to see what other prospects he has..." Wycliff glanced almost cautiously over at Ghada to see his youngest daughters reaction.
It didn't take long for that information to sink into Ghada.
"BUT I'M ELEVEN!" yelled Ghada, " I want to live life well until I'm at least eighteen! Not be promised to some pig of a man who is twice my age and could care less about me and only want sons!" and with that Ghada raced down the hallway and out of sight.
Moments later she bumped into Amaryllis.
"Have you heard the news?" said Ghada roughly, "Father wants to put ALL of us on display now, even though most of us are severely under age!"
Amaryllis looked dreamy at this.
"Yes I've heard, and I only do have five more years until I can officially be married after all. So I want to see what prospects lie out there."
Ghada looked at her older sister almost with disgust.
"Do you really want to be married that bad that you don't even care who it is? Men only want us for babies! For heirs! They won't seriously love you---
Ghada was cut off by a slap from Amaryllis. She stood there breathing heavily looking outraged that Ghada would say such things, as Amaryllis was a true romantic and didn't want anyone spoiling her image of getting married.
Ghada meanwhile looked stunned and hurt, as her favourite sister had never layed a hand on her before. She scampered off with hot tears starting to pour down her face, not wanting Amaryllis to see just how much she had hurt her in an emotional way.
As she ran Ghada did not care or notice where she went as long as she could get as far away from the manour and the people in it as possible. Stopping at her stables she rested in a stack of hay.
Hearing a snort of displeasure Ghada looked up and saw what she thought was a young stallion looking down on her. Apparently she was sitting on his next meal and Ghada frantically got up as the young horse began to nibble at her clothes instead.
Ghada reached out to touch the horses' muzzle and it responded by snorting again but this time in a more normal and less alarmed way.
"Well you're a nice horse aren't you? I bet you don't have to worry about who you're going to get married to are you?" Ghada looked at the horse tenderly then almost as if waking from a dream laughed at herself.
"How lonely am I? I'm talking to a horse, this seems something more Delora would do."
Delora still lived at the manour even though she was now eighteen but no one yet had asked for her hand and Ghada's prediction from when she was seven still held true. Delora was not going anywhere.
Ghada heard a snap and approaching footsteps that crunched along the gravel path to get to the stables. It was a moment later when Amory looked through the door and her gaze met Ghada's bleary reddened eyes.
"You've been crying," said Amory stating the obvious.
Ghada looked away, not yet feeling like talking.
"Amaryllis told me what happened between you two and she feels really bad about hitting you. She also wants me to apologize for her as she didn't know if you wanted to see her quite yet."
Ghada looked up in surprise, not expecting to hear that, and so soon.
"Well it was partly my fault too, I was angry and I guess I took it out on her."
Amory grinned at Ghada, "And now you've taken to talking to horses, just what Delora does. I don't know...we may have a second Delora in the making."
"How did you know that?" asked a slowly reddening Ghada, disturbed that she was overheard.
"Oh I have been standing here for over ten minutes, and I decided that it wouldn't be right to barge in so I ran back along the grass then loudly made my way back by the gravel pathway."
Ghada started to laugh, feeling better instantly, she walked back with Amory to the house and saw an awaiting Amaryllis sitting on the ledge of the front yard fountain. The figurine spewing out water from its' mouth posing for all of eternity.
Without any words shared Amaryllis and Ghada began to run to one another and everything was forgotten in one swift hug.
Little did they know, Wycliff observed this reunion in his study growing evermore troubled as the man he had told now all of them about was coming over in exactly one hour.
As the girls re-entered the house they were met by Delora and Leonora. A subject was brought up and they all put in their opinion chattily while Wycliff walked towards them.
"Alright girls, It's time to get ready. He'll be here within the hour."
Ghada was about to protest when a hand moved in front of her mouth smoothly and she was dragged off in the middle of the clump of girls. This would be Ghada's and Amaryllis's first time on the pillows ever and however excited Amaryllis was, that was how much Ghada dreaded it.
As they entered a large chamber to dress themselves and enhance their features by the means of make-up, Wycliff followed them in.
"Amaryllis you will be seated on the blue cushion, and Ghada you will be seated on the royal purple."
With that said Wycliff turned heel and left the room.
Amaryllis squealed with happiness that the day she finally dreamed about had come. Ghada groaned inside and decided to find the most unshapely and unflattering dress she could find.
Amaryllis called Ghada over to help her with her hair. Ghada looked at Amaryllis' wavy golden waist-length hair and compared it to her own straight black above the shoulder own. Ghada had never been fond of long hair on herself, she always found it as a nuisance and in the way. As Ghada braided Amaryllis' hair and piled it on top and secured it with a nicely fashioned hair clip, Amaryllis caught sight of the dress that was layed out behind her.
"Oh you're not wearing that are you?" half-screeched Amaryllis appalled at Ghada's choice.
"Why not, I think it would look lovely," Ghada said with an obviously sarcastic tone.
Amaryllis walked over and held up the too big dress, which could pass as an overly large poncho. It was knit with all different colours of wool and had a very tacky bow at the right hip. Ghada was proud of her selection and didn't believe it could get anymore less appealing then that.
Amaryllis herself wore a light blue satin dress which cascaded down on the floor giving her a nice sweeping movement when she walked.
Ghada quickly grabbed her own dress out of Amaryllis' hands and put it on over the clothes she was already wearing not bothering to change shoes or put on any make-up.
"Done!" said Ghada racing out the door.
Leonora stopped Amaryllis from chasing after.
"Just let her go, after all being eleven is a bit young to be presented."
Amaryllis nodded and waited for Amory to finish changing before walking out with her and Leonora.
They found Delora and Ghada sitting on their cushions already. Delora sat on a green cushion almost as if she were in a trance. She was perfectly still with her legs crossed and dangling over the pillow. Ghada on the other hand was sprawled out all over her pillow trying to figure out which way would make her look the worst.
Amaryllis sat next to Ghada as they were presented in age order.
"What are you doing Ghada?" asked Amaryllis, surprised at how Ghada was treating her first ceremony.
"I'm making myself comfortable,"said Ghada, "besides you being beside me should make me look even worse!"
Ghada looked very hopeful at this and Wycliff entered the main hall of where they were all seated.
"Alright he's here and apparently he's brought some other men with him and--- GOOD LORD GHADA!"
Wycliff had now spotted his youngest daughter in the most hideous dress he had ever seen sitting in a non-ladylike manner. Ghada grinned at her father.
"Wow I hope everyone else has a reaction similar to that!"
"But there's no time for you to change," spluttered Wycliff, "At least sit up straight."
And with that her father walked over placed her in a decent sitting position muttered for her to stay like that and left to go get the suitors.
He threw open the wooden doors as Ghada had seen him do so many times from the floors above, but this time she was on display, this time she was up for a future bride prospect. With that thought in mind Ghada began to slouch.
Four men entered, and a boy who looked like he was a messenger or a page, and that's exactly what he was. The first man was presented as Knox, he was very tall and musclebound in appearance, but also older looking. He had to at least be thirty-five.
As Knox paced along the line he stopped briefly to look at Leonora but was told harshly by a smaller, yet powerful looking man to keep walking. He was the man who Wycliff had told his daughters about.
He was introduced next, His name was Slade, he looked younger than Knox, at perhaps twenty-eight, but there was something about him that Ghada instantly disliked. He stopped to look at each and every one of them, although he looked at Ghada the shortest. Ghada sighed with relief when the intensity of his sinister look was cast off of her.
Next was a man named Hayward, he almost looked out of place compared to the other men, he had a big rounded belly and had a jolly look about him. He didn't stop to look at any of them and it was then, Ghada wondered if they would all get off.
The fourth and last man was undoubtedly the shortest man she had ever seen and had a very stocky build, his name was Orrin. He scanned over the girls and stopped at Amaryllis, he looked over her for a very long almost uncomfortable amount of time and didn't even bother to look at Ghada. Ghada sighed, she was safe now. No one had showed any interest in her.
The four men had a quiet discussion among themselves when Ghada saw herself being looked, or more like it glared at by the page-boy who had come along with the four men Ghada decided to glare back not liking the attitude of the young boy.
"Let Calix have a look eh?" laughed Hayward.
The young boy of around twelve looked up at his superiors and reluctantly walked down the line of pillows. He stopped at Ghada, mouthing "ugly" and then walked back to the men. Ghadas' hazel eyes narrowed at the back of the boy, liking no more than to throw him over the roof of her manour.
"Right then we've made our decision," said Slade, "You can keep Leonora."
A rush of air was seemingly let out from all five girls. Ghada happily smiled to herself.
"But, we'll be taking Amaryllis."