Writers note: This is a new story I have been working on, I'm not sure if I’m going to continue it yet that all depends on whether or not I think people are going to like to read it. I will post a few more chapters after this and see how it goes. Also the default cover art is by Mirikyu this is the link to her deviantart profile "http://mirikyu.deviantart.com/" AnywaysI hope you enjoy it though! -Manda
Forever at your service
Valerie sat with her head in her hands at the edge of her bed, she felt betrayed and frustrated at her father. How could he do this to her? Even after he promised he wouldn’t. “Valerie…” Vivian said in a sympathetic voice.
Valarie refused to respond to her sister and remained silent.
“I know you have heard it before but let me tell you once more, the story about the king of Zinoviev and his wife. As you know this tale was passed down to many young boys and girls in their teens to give them a more positive outlook on arranged marriage” Vivian sat down next to her sister on the bed as she continued to speak.
“The story said that when our beloved king was nineteen years old and still just a prince his parents passed away. So the young prince was forced to wed the eldest daughter of a nobleman whom he had never even met before. At first the young prince was very against this and wanted to rule his Kingdom without a queen at his side, but the rest of the royal family would not agree to that. On the morning of his wedding he decide that he wanted to take a walk through the court yard to clear his head, as he walked he was so absorbed in his thoughts he was surprised when a beautiful young maiden approached him. The girl asked him why he looked so troubled and the prince proceeded to explain his dilemma, after he finished speaking the young girl smiled at him and asked him if he loved his kingdom. The prince replied yes without hesitation, so the beautiful girl smiled again and told him that in love you must make sacrifices and that if he could not ever grow to care for his future wife then so be it, because it was the sacrifice he must make to show his love for his kingdom. Inspired by her words the prince hurried back to prepare for the ceremony and when he arrived he was surprised to see that his new bride was the beautiful young girl whom he has spoken to earlier that day. The prince marred the maiden and they became King and queen of Zinoviev, the king grew to love his wife deeply and they had three children who just like their parents love and care for our kingdom.” Vivian placed a hand on Valerie’s shoulder as she finished speaking.
“Marrying someone for your kingdom is not as awful as you may think” Vivian said in a soft and caring voice.
Valerie had heard this story thousands of times before today, it was a story she begged her father to tell her countless times when she was little, but now she didn’t want to hear it. She used to love the story because it was the tale of how her parents met and it made her feel closer to her mother and her kingdom every time she heard it. Although now, it was the last thing she wanted to here. Valerie knew that you have to make sacrifices in love and she probably knew that better then anyone else here because the thing is, she was already in love. Not with a Prince, not with the son of a nobleman, not even with a soldier. Valerie was in love with a worker from the castle, she was in love with her maid…
One Year Earlier.
Annabelle sighed as she sat up in bed, she could see through her window that it was still dark outside but because she couldn’t sleep any longer she decided she would get up for the day. Since she had awoken much more early then she had originally intended to she had more time to get ready. So she walked into the kitchen and started preparing breakfast, half way through her mother walked into the room.
“You’re up rather early Belle darling” mother smiled as she walked over to me
“Yes, I was so anxious I couldn’t sleep a minute longer” I said truthfully.