Silent Shadows

Chapter One.

I was set to be married at a man I despised in two weeks.

I had been betrothed to Illian from the moment I was born, but it was only know that the hard reality of it had only set in know.

I would no longer be living in my childhood home, instead being moved to a foreign kingdom, one I had only visited three times in my entire life.

My father nudged me, snapping me back to reality. I looked around, dazed, before noticing what my father was gesturing towards. King Barclomes. In his hand he held a box which glittered with jewels, shining in the sun which filtered through the large glass windows.

I bowed my hair. "Thank you for the kind gift, King Barclomes."

"It's my pleasure, princess." he said, beaming. He handed me the gift. "Please, open it now Pinna."

"As you wish, king." I said, barely holding my excitement. King Barclomes came from Eranelle, a land famous for its rocky mountains which hid many great treasures. But while living in that kingdom would be great for my jewelry collection, Eranelle didn't have fascinating features like Misra.

Once you got used to the stunning mountains of Eranelle, everything began to look the same. All the mountains were just big lumps of rocks, which were scattered across a foreboding desert, which was stark besides the occasional village or two. Of course there was the booming city of Leshad, but that was an hour away from where the castle was in Uslia.

Meanwhile here in Misra, a land said to be blessed by the gods themselves, the climate was cool year-round, and our lands were full with animals and plants alike. There was never a boring moment in Misra.

But it looked as though my life here on out was going to be playing dress up and faking smiles.

I didn't have to fake this smile though, as I opened the jewel encrusted box to reveal a ring, embedded with a large diamond, and studded with rubies.

I gasped, "Oh, it's beautiful!"

The king bowed, "A gift of beauty for my future daughter. Think of it as a wedding gift. Son, step forward and greet your future wife."

My smile dropped at the site of Illian. I wish I could complain about how unnattractive he was, something I could do as a young woman, but it seemed as though nature had treated him well since the last time we'd met.

His acne-covered face had been removed by a clear face with sharp and chiseled features.

He also seemed to have been working out more, with broader shoulders, and large biceps.

He wore tan clothes, with the simplest of gold jewelry.

Any other woman would have loved to be in my place, and even I couldn't help but blush ever so slightly at the sight of him.

"My beloved Pinna Fleur. Your face is truly a beauty to behold." He said charmingly, beaming. He bent down next to me, and I extended my hand. He pressed his cold lips to my hand for only a mere second, but even that was enough to raise goosebumps all over. I wasn't sure if it was out of attraction or disgust. I hoped it was the latter.