Forbidden Love

Chapter 1

SIX MONTHS EARLIER

It was just like any other morning, woke up, had breakfast, got dressed, traveled to work... except there was something strange in the air, a feeling I couldn't shake that my life was going to be turned upside down, and not necessarily in a good way.
My suspicions were confirmed when I saw a limo parked right outside the office where I worked as a secretary, it sported the Valdovian flag, that couldn't possibly mean good news.
I was actually born in Valdovia, a small kingdom in the Alps between France and Switzerland, the daughter of a prominent Duke and an American journalist, but I had left the country with my mother after my father's death when I was only 5 years old, and I had been raised in the States. A part of me often wondered about my birth place, but my mother had created a good life for us, and she never looked back, so why should I?
Taking a deep breath, I walked inside the building, and, sure enough, a tall man that looked like a representative of the Valdovian Royal Family was currently speaking with my boss, Elliot Carlisle, one of the top lawyers in New York. I didn't want to make things too easy for the stranger, whoever he represented, so I simply sat at my desk and waited to be summoned.

"You needed me, Elliot?" I asked, making a point of barely looking at the other man.

"Mia, this man is Walter Jameson, he says he works for the royal family of Valdovia, is that right?, anyway, he is here to speak to you, and I checked him out, he is legit." He looked toward the other man, encouraging him to speak, but Walter seemed to wait for something, probably for Elliot to leave his own office, how rude.

"Well, mister Jameson, I'm all ears. If you are waiting for Elliot to leave, that isn't going to happen, something tells me I could use the presence of a lawyer."

"Very well, Your Grace. First of all I must say it was not easy to find you, no one knew you had changed your name, it took us months to finally get to you, making my mission even more urgent."

"Yeah, well, my mother remarried a few years back, and her husband kindly decided to adopt me, I have been Mia Preston most of my life. Now, can you please tell me what mission could possibly require my intervention?"

"You see, Your Grace, your late father, Duke Duverney, was quite close to His Majesty, and after your birth he signed an official document promising you as a bride for His Royal Highness Prince Richelieu, who was 7 years old at the time. No one in the court knew about the document, not even Her Majesty, but after His Majesty's passing 6 months ago, the document was found among his papers, and it is still binding."

"Wait, what? You're saying I'm legally bound to marry a man I don't even know because our fathers signed a document when we were children? How is that even legal?"

"It is according to Valdovian law, and the matter is quite urgent, Prince Tristan is required to marry before officially ascending the throne, the coronation is scheduled in less than 5 months. I came here to bring you back to Valdovia as soon as possible."

"What if I refuse? Isn't there anyone else that can marry the Prince? I doubt he is happy to marry a complete stranger."

"The Prince is ready to do what it takes for his country, it is his duty to honor this contract. As for you, I'm afraid if you refuse you will be confined to our prison with the accusation of treason, you are still a Valdovian citizen, and therefore bound by our laws."

"You're saying I could go to jail for this?"

"That is precisely what I am saying. Now, I understand it will take you some time to consider the matter so I shall take my leave. This is how you can contact me, you have two days to decide what to do."

He gave me a card and left, but I was too stunned to even speak, how could something like this be happening to me, and what the hell was my father thinking signing that document? Granted, he probably didn't expect to die a few years later, he probably thought the Prince and I would grow up together and form some kind of bond between us, but, given the circumstances, how can anyone ask us to do this?
After a few minutes, Elliot interrupted my musings by confirming that the document was in fact legally binding and I could be accused of treason for not complying with it, even if I renounced my Valdovian citizenship now it would be too late since I was already made aware of the contract, so it seemed I had no other choice, I had to move back to Valdovia and marry the Prince.
What was he even like?