Old as Time

Chapter One

Then

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a beautiful young maiden. Her green eyes were soft and kind, her face gentle, and her personality shone like the stars in the sky. She was truly breathtaking in every way. Her name was Genevieve, and she was very highly sought after. Many men tried and failed to win her love, showering her with compliments and gifts. Some wanted her for the rest of their lives, to live out happily ever after. Most wanted to conquer her heart only for a night. There was, however, one man in particular who wanted her more than most.

His name was Alexander, and he was a very accomplished huntsman. To most women, he was a glorious sight to behold. Tan and muscular, biceps bursting through his shirt. His blue eyes and charming smile could make any girl swoon. Any girl, that is, with the exception of Genevieve. She could see right through him like he was a piece of cellophane. All that Alexander wanted was a woman to cook him dinner and clean his house. He wanted a slave, not a wife.

What Genevieve wanted in life was adventure. She would get lost in her books and dream of far off lands. Her dreams were filled with waterfalls and lakes, jungles and deserts, of mountains and valleys. She was a free spirit, and could not be tamed. But no matter how many times she insisted, Alexander would not give up.

Genevieve knew of Alexander's intentions to steal her away, to crush her dreams and break her spirit, making her docile. She despised Alexander, but her father did not. Her father was a very rich businessman, very well respected in the trading business. But he was in constant fear of going under. Alexander came from a very rich family, his grandparents owned the best trading company in all of America. He thought it a good idea to marry into his family, to ensure his success. He was more worried about his business than his daughter's happiness!

Her father just couldn't understand why Genevieve didn't like Alexander. He brought up the subject of marriage with her many times, and this was no exception. Genevieve was sitting in her library, reading as usual, when her father approached her and requested she take a walk with him.

Sighing, she set her book down and began to think back to her childhood. She was born in Paris and lived there for eleven years. When she was just 11 years old, her mother died of tuberculosis. Her father went into a spiraling depression, and decided to just sell their house and start anew in America. They moved to a small little town about 116 miles from Manhattan Island. Her father opened a trading business, and it immediately spiraled upward. His work became his life. He drowned his sorrows in paperwork and business terminology.

She was brought back to reality by her father's voice as they entered the garden. She braced herself for the speech he was about to give, and prepared her own counter speech.

"My daughter, you are 16 years old and yet you have not married. Your mother and I married when we were just 15. You are going to end up a handmaid if you do not marry soon. You need to start thinking about marriage."

"Father, I do not wish to marry. I want to go out and explore the world, None of the men here interest me. They are very dull and all they care about is beating their neighbor's trophy wife. I do not wish to become a servant to a man, cooking his food and cleaning his laundry and raising ten children. That is not the life I want for myself."

Her father paused, thinking over what she said. He seemed as though he was holding something from her, something very important. It filled her with a sense of dread. Her father was not one to keep secrets.

"Father, is there something you wish to tell me?"
Genevieve kept her voice short and clipped, showing that she wanted no beating around the bush. She wanted to know what her father was doing, and why he was doing it. Her heart rate was increasing, her breathing shallowing. She knew that her father's words would change her life forever.