The General's Daughter

Chapter 1

I once read that you shouldn't worry about those things that make you different, because they could wind up being your biggest strengths.

I wasn't so sure that any part of my individuality could be counted as an asset, but there was certainly plenty of it. Unfortunately, in my world, being unique was almost completely unwelcome. Society thrived on everyone behaving and thinking exactly the same way. Originality, especially in a female, was not only unappreciated, but people thought there was something wrong with you.

Thankfully, my parents didn't feel that way. They'd always encouraged me to think for myself. I wish I could say that they shunned Society's rules completely, but they didn't, and they wouldn't allow me to either.

Personally, I couldn't understand it. My aunt Keira, who I was named for, cared nothing for Society. She was outspoken and involved in politics. She carried a weapon and dressed for her comfort, rather than the comfort of everyone else. And she largely ignored protocols and social expectations. For all of that, she was respected.

Although, I suppose she wasn't here very much. She only visited a few times a year. But my parents couldn't have cared that much for Society's rules either. If they did, they never would have gotten married.

According to Society, Papa should have married a girl from the upper class. That was the way it was almost always done. It didn't matter if the girl was empty-headed, shallow, and spoiled beyond belief. Those things were basically a given. Just as long as she was pretty and had a decent dowry, she met most men's requirements. It wasn't considered proper for men to deviate from the expectation of choosing a bride from the upper class in favor of someone they might actually like, the way Papa had.

Of course, it was even less proper to gossip about those who dared to break the rules, but I still heard comments here and there about my mother's unsuitability. In my hearing, it was usually followed by some well-meaning but shocked sentiment of how she managed to work out anyway.

Those people knew nothing. My mother was perfect. She was educated, which meant that she was smarter than all of the upper-class women put together. She was more beautiful than they were too. The entire upper-class female population couldn't match her natural beauty with their best attempts and fashion accessories.

My mother was caring and compassionate. Not that Society valued those things, of course, but in my opinion they were pretty important. Not even for the simple fact that it made her a good person, but her consideration for others was the reason we had loyal staff. Some of our servants almost felt like family. Her consideration was also the reason that most people, regardless of class, genuinely liked her, and it was the reason that despite what I might want to do and how headstrong I might wish to be, I hated to disappoint her.

Even though she wasn't raised here, she was elegant and refined, and she always knew exactly the right things to do and say whatever the social situation. In fact, she was better at it than most people because for her it wasn't an act to be well-mannered and sociable.

Despite all of that, my mother had the stigma of being born in the wrong place and to the wrong kind of people, and was therefore not considered a good match for my father, a high-ranking military officer who was also an extremely wealthy and powerful man of the upper-class.

Obviously I was glad that Papa was who he was and that he hadn't allowed anyone to tell him who he should marry. I just wish I knew the whole story. No one would ever tell me more than that they had married despite the fact that most people didn't approve, but I could have figured that much out on my own.

When I married, I wanted the sort of love that they had, and I wanted to know how to recognize it. If that was even possible, that is... Outside of my family, genuine love was so rare that I almost didn't know what to look for. Maybe the fact that my parents were happy, was completely due to dumb luck. Maybe there simply wasn't any way to guarantee it.