Her Beast

Prologue

A/N:  Hey all just a little idea im playing around with.  If you wouldn't mind could you let me know if you think I should carry on with it or drop it.  I have written the first few chapters for your thoughts.

Kind regards

Shy xx

~&~

The crash of glass yerked Grace from her sleep up in the airy loft of their three story mansion.  Somewhere down below her family was airing out their anger at each other.  She could hear the deep belows of her father penetrating through the walls.  Her mother's high pitched screeching causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand to attention.

She knew from the words being thrown around that her sister, Harmony, was the cause of their anger but for once she couldn't hear her sister.  Harmony, by name, dragon by nature, was usually a force to be reckoned with. Yet today her voice was strangely absent from the triade commencing downstairs.

Grace usually chose to remain away from her family dynamics, hide herself away in her room far from their insults and accusations.  Her way, her manner was strange to them.  They didn't understand her need to keep the peace and calm things down and inevitably she ended up at the wrong end of a backhand whenever she chose to intercede on her sisters behalf.

The sisters were like chalk and cheese, but they loved each other fiercely,  growing up they had tried to shield each other from their parents.  Harmony, the eldest at 23, with boldness would often deflect their anger onto her and away from Grace, it didn't always work but as Harmony said, she was stronger she could handle it.  Grace with her soft spoken words often ignited the wrath of her parents, she had learnt long ago to keep her mouth shut and stayed out of their way.  She would keep the peace as much as she could by running the household like a tight ship, she managed the staff and arranged the meals and tended the bruises and cuts that her sister received.  The servants knew to never be seen when her parents were around, but they seemed to love the sisters and did their best to make sure everything was done to the exacting standards of their little mistress'.  

It was a big house, with many rooms for Grace and Harmony to disappear into, but with their family, one never knew when or what would set things off. Her father's business dealing didn't help matters and at the moment tensions appeared to be high.  From what the sisters had fathomed out, their father had somehow managed to mess with the wrong man and if cooler heads didn't prevail, heads would roll.

It had been her mother that had come up with the solution, a vile, horrid solution but a solution none-the-less.  Their reputation was in ruins, their multi-million dollar corporation was on the brink of annihilation.   So they had gone to an even bigger threat and struck a deal with the devil himself.

Marriage.

Grace's parents knew the beauty their children wore, it was a coveted beauty that her parents protected fiercely, not for their daughters honour but for their own use.  Grace and Harmony were puppets in the little games they played at various functions and dinner parties.  Their parents lived for the gossip and murmurs about their beautiful girls.  It gave them a deep sense of satisfaction to mess with the lives of any would be suitors.  Only this time, it wasn't a game. This time they had arranged the marriage between Harmony and the Beast of New York himself.

The sisters had cried together for hours when her parents had made their joyous announcement. Two weeks was all they were given to get used to the idea.  A wedding was already being planned, dresses had already been bought. Fitting would be arranged for the very next day.  Worst of all the grand event was being held here in their very home. Everything would be brought to Harmony.  In other words there would be no escape for her.  She was trapped and they both knew it.

So the absence of her sisters voice, on the morning of the big day, made it evident that the shit was about to hit the fan.

Grace flung her legs over the side of her bed and rushed through the house to her sisters room. There was no sign of Harmony anywhere. Clothes and shoes had been tossed around the room but Grace noted that Harmony's journey was not in its usual place on the book case. She ran over to their secret hiding place behind the big four poster bed leg, pushed up against the wall. dropping to her knees Grace felt behind the leg for the book and pulled it out as her fingers touched the smooth leather cover.

Not stopping to get caught reading there, Grace jumped up and hurried back to her room down the hall. Grace locked the door behind her and continued on into her bathroom, locking that door too for good measure. She climbed into the bath as she flipped through the pages to the last entry.

Grace,

I'm so sorry! I couldn't face it. I'm not strong enough to carry this one! I can't tell you where I have gone as you know Dad he will force it out of you and I can't let that happen. .

Stay out of their way and keep your head down. When they have forgotten about this stupid marriage arrangement I will see you again, I will always come back for you Grace.

Know that I am safe and I have a plan.

All my love

Harm x

Only Harmony had no idea how wrong she was. 

Moments after Grace had hidden the journal back in their hiding place, this time in her room,  her bedroom door shattered open, breaking clean off its hinges.  Grace sprung up from her bed where she had just sat and rounded on the red faced, fuming figure of her father.  He stood over her with his fist clenched and nostrils flaring.

Through clenched teeth he spat out words Grace had never even considered.

"Get dressed, it appears you will be getting married today!"

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