The Voice of the Nightingale

Prolouge

The Nightingale family was one of the richest in the whole country. The only family richer was the Bidcambrough family, which was the monarchy.
When Prince Theodor was only four years old, a treaty was signed between the two houses. The next female born into the Nightingales would be betrothed to the young prince and marry him as soon as she turned eighteen. Nine months later, a girl was born. Unlike the rest of her family, her hair was ash blonde, which is how she got her name.
Duchess Ash, already of high status at her birth, was to betrothed to Theodor. Every day of her life, she would think about what would happen on her eighteenth birthday. The day any love she felt towards another, would have to be discarded.

One year, Ash was sent to visit the castle of Bidcambrough when she was only a day from sixteen years old. Theodor had just been made king. She was to attend the coronation, as the future queen.
When she met him, she was underwhelmed. He was average. Average body, average face, average personality. He had short, black hair and dark, hazel eyes. Ash had come in to to find him flirting with three girls, all of them crowded around his chair. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Ash Nightingale, my bride, I presume?" He said. Ash looked down and clenched her teeth. He knew I was coming, yet he still crowds himself with his whores.
She looked up and smiled a fake smile. "You must be my betrothed, King Theodor?"
"Correct!"
Ash hated the respectful way she had to talk to him. He was not at all respectful to her, not even stating her title.
"I've changed our plans." Theodor said. "I like your pretty face, so, I've decided we are getting married in two days."
"What!" Shouted Ash in reply.
"I'm King am I not. I can choose when to marry my fiancé. Anyway, why would you not want to marry me? I'm King! And, I've got other people here who would be glad to." The girls surrounding him all nodded in agreement.
She couldn't do anything to stop it.
"Of course, my King, of course I would want to marry you."
Ash walked out of the room and the King's mistresses continued to peruse him, unrelentingly.