Rejected

Chapter 1

The view in front of her was beautiful.

The sun was setting and the colours filtering through the woolly clouds turned the whole mountain side into an artist's palette of reds and pinks.

Fronton Palace was built on the edge of the mountain cliff face and it had an uninterrupted view into the valley below. The balcony connected to the blue parlour was specifically designed to take advantage of this.

Delilah breathed in the fresh air and felt like she was home.

"Isn't the view just stunning? I had to fight tooth and nail with Damian's father to get this parlour after we were married," Queen Rosemary spoke from inside the room.

"This view is definitely worth fighting for," Delilah agreed still in awe she was having a private meeting with the Queen herself. A month ago she would have laughed in the face of whoever suggested such an occurrence would be possible and even now she scarcely believed it.

The attention she had received in the ball by the royal family had allowed her to dream of things she knew she did not deserve. She was the common looking daughter of an impoverished baronet. Her father loved her and wanted the best for her but her mother seemed to think she was nothing compared to her older brother. Where her older brother would be given privileges and an extensive allowance she was confined and abhorred.

Her dowry would take away a good chunk of her father's dwindling fortune and if a good dowry wasn't the only possible reason for her to be married off Delilah was sure her mother would have asked for it to be decreased.

Her mother and aunts had been terribly amused when an open invitation came at their doorstep asking for the honour of having their children at the Royal ball. Her brother was already betrothed and their family fields were being plagued by invasive pests so he had declined and none of Delilah's cousins were old enough to be out so only Delilah was left as a suitable guest. All her aunts and even her mother were sceptical about letting her out in such a public arena all on her own. In their opinion Delilah had little to offer the nobility in the way of looks and personality.

Delilah's mother was a sunning woman to behold and in comparison Delilah was a diluted version of her. Her mother was a grey eyed beauty whose raven hair, while contrary to common standards of attractiveness, were remarkable nevertheless. Delilah had similar colouring but she had dull, thin hair she kept in a bun regardless of where she was going. She had the same grey eyes and pale face but they only accentuated the dimness around her eyes. Delilah had no sense for what fabrics were popular or what hairstyle was appropriate at what event and she neither had a taste for intrigue and gossip. According to her mother that made Delilah a very uninteresting person to be around.

Delilah was used to the condescending behaviour and it was only at the insistence of her brother that she even made it to the ball. The ball itself was a month long event and her father had given her full control over an extensive allowance to make preparations for the trip. Delilah had needed so many new clothes that even her mother had gotten involved in having them tailored for her and for that Delilah was grateful. Every few nights there was an event to be held and she needed to look just right; who knew who might take a fancy to her.

Her mother had taken an unnatural obsession over her posture, how she ate and how she spoke. Her mother had even made her practice how to bow in front of the queen. While Delilah was annoyed at being badgered over the minute details but she wasn't so self-involved in her woes to not notice that her training would only benefit her. She really didn't want to look like the odd one out amongst the Nobility.

Once Delilah reached Fronton palace with Chaperon Lady Winston and her two daughters the grandeur of the palace and the imperious manners of the inhabitants and guests had made her lose most of her confidence. At times she could barely speak and at other times she spoke too fast that she tripped over words. It had been a humiliating experience to watch people sneer at her when they thought she wasn't looking. At least those who waited for her to turn away were the polite ones; some didn't even bother to conceal their disdain. Lady Winston, an old friend of her mothers, would snub her every opportunity she got.