Living in a marble castle does not mean life is a fairytale, for Annalise it is anything but. It all started with flash backs of the old castle burning to the ground but these flash backs become more violent and frequent leaving Lise questioning abo...
Yes. I repeat that one simple word again and again in my head. Turning it over and over in my mind. Thirty seconds ago it had no meaning, it was just another word that I said out of habit or because it so easily escaped my lips but now, it means everything.
My whole future rides on that one word. Its a horrible feeling having the rest of your life be determined by this one moment
one breath
one word.
I realize now how much I have taken for granted the privilege of choice. When he asks me the question, the question I can't even say in my head, there isn't an option of "no".
If there is only one thing I know for sure, it's that I cannot refuse Grandons offer, my father has made me more sure of this then I know my own name. Grandon's attention is solely focused on me, this boy I've never met is about to ask me a life-altering question, that I don't have the ability to decide for myself.
The hall feels suffocatingly hot but Grandon doesn't seem to notice. He grins crookedly and clears his throat, at that exact moment the room becomes terribly cold. I turn to my father, and give him one last pleading look in the hopes he won't make me go through with this. He frowns the creases in his forehead are deeper the usual but it's not his expression that scares me, its the fire in his eyes.
Suddenly my throat closes and darkness is creeping into the corners of my vision. The sounds of the great hall become distant and the faint odour of rose oil fills my lungs. I lose sight of the world just as a flash of light eliminates the room, then total darkness.
The past
"Dad" I peer into his office.
He grunts "What do you want?" Normally I wouldn't have pushed it if he was one of his moods but this was too important to not at least try.
I decided to start with something light. "You've been working awful hard today, why not take a break? We'll go for a walk in the garden. Sunshine will do you some good."
"God, Annalise I'm busy." He snapped. I take a silent breath in from my noes, I feel a heat creeping up into my cheeks.
"Dad, will I... Do I get to meet the person I'm marrying before the engagement dinner?" For the first time since I walked in my father looks up from his work. He smiles in away that makes me want to crawl into a hole and never come out.
"Oh Annalise," he sneerers " if he saw you before the engagement feast do you really think he would still marry you. One look your face and he be running back to Denkerk faster than a racehorse." ************************ The grand hall abruptly comes back into view and I find myself staring into a pair of dark green eyes. Without moving I scan the room, nobody seems the least bit alarmed about the fact that I just blacked out. In fact, it seems that no time has passed since the flashback. The room feels tight like I'm being compressed into a minuscule chest.
The crown prince blinks Once Twice.
"Princess Annalise of Ladenngaurd," He starts. The last bit of rose oil is falling away making my senses clearer. I take a deep breath of air depleted of the floral scent. Joel has now found his way into the hall and is standing behind a table near the door. He scratches his head looking uncomfortable. I catch his eyes and he smiles, in an attempt to make me less nervous.
" will you be my wife?"Grandon asks. The entire room collectively holds their breath, I can feel every single pair of eyes burning into me. I do what is expected of me, I sign my life away.
"Yes." I breathe.
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Hey guys I hoped you liked this chapter. When we hit one hundred reads I will start a question section and have a contest to have a shout-out in some chapters. Thank you and enjoy.
