Amora Delcray had been told often while growing up that she was just a bargaining chip, a gateway to more power and wealth. All daughters were. After all, what could they do other than bear sons? They weren't smart or strong or brave like boys were, and prone to disgraceful outbursts when left in the company of the opposite sex. Girls should be kept away from boys until they were betrothed or better yet, until their wedding day. Her father never allowed her anywhere near the male servants at her estate, and threatened her with disownment if she were to become pregnant before she was wed.
Amora, being the innocent girl that she was, didn't understand how exactly she could become pregnant, but knew that it would somehow happen if she were to come into contact with a man. The thought of disownment terrified her, as she had no idea how to live on her own.
By the time she was a teenager, Amora had developed a great fear of men. She was anxious even around her own brothers. Men were capable of anything, her mother had always said, and shouldn't be trusted. Men would hurt her and use her for their own pleasures and throw her away when they were done. No good ever came from their company.
So no one should've been surprised when Amora fainted after hearing the news of her engagement to the wealthy Ohtrian lord's son at dinner one evening. But, as they were stupid and ignorant people, they were. Her family's reactions, Amora was told by her brother Michael upon waking, were quite varied.
Her mother screamed and called for the guards, convinced this was an assassination attempt on the soon-to-be-lady's life. Her father shoved plates of venison over to her unconscious body, claiming her fainting spell was caused by her frailty, and told her to put some meat on her bones. Michael laughed and fell out of his chair, while her two other brothers, Samuel and Peter, stared at her uninterestedly before continuing their meal. Only her cousin Clara expressed any concern, stating "Uncle, you should really get her some water." It took her family a long while to finally regain their composure and decide to send her to bed for the night.
Amora has already regained consciousness by the time she was sent away, and was very frightened and confused at the prospect of marriage. Her mother was still in a panic and refused to answer her questions, and the only other female in her family, Clara, left without saying a word to her or asking about her well-being. Amora didn't trust her father or brothers enough to ask about the betrothal, so she was left with no one to talk to or comfort her.
She made her way quickly to her bedchambers, almost running in an attempt to avoid making any contact with the male guards that watched the halls at night.
When she finally reached her room, she slammed the door and locked it tightly, making sure no one but herself could enter or exit. Sliding down to the floor she began to weep, the horror of her situation sinking in. She was getting married. To a man. A man whom of which she'd never met or had any sort of contact with. A man from a distant land. A land where she'd never see her family again. Because that's what men did. They took you and kept you from what you loved, made your life a nightmare. At least, that's what her mother had told her men would do.
While she was sobbing, she heard someone approach the door. The mystery person in the hallway knocked softly and said something that couldn't be understood through the thick wooden door.
Terrified of what could be waiting on the other side, Amora crawled over to her bed and curled up into a ball under her blankets before falling into a deep slumber where her dreams were filled with distorted images of her future husband with long claws and and a sinister smile.
