1 Sold

Sighs…

My family sold me today.

This morning, my father, the Count of Reid announced to the whole family my engagement to the Great Duke Lyon of Docrem. I can't say I wasn't expecting that as they were making it pretty obvious but I had to fake ignorance and surprise like everyone else.

When the Royal aide from the King of Crotia called father to the Palace to receive the decree, I kept looking down in resignation. I knew we didn't have a choice but to comply with His Highness orders, not that my dear father wanted to go against them, he was smiling so happy when he came back.

However, I was not afraid nor sad, in fact, I was kind of happy. I even tried hard to hide my smile creeping out my mouth. After all, the Duke was truly an exceptional man, with so many achievements on his shoulders. He was the youngest general to command his kingdom's army and conquer the north.

The poor people living in the frontier regained him as the hero that subdued the wild tribes and brought peace to his country, a very long-awaited peace.

At such a young age, he had gained the loyalty and respect of his people and other kingdoms. Who would not want to marry such an outstanding man?

Sigh…

But… my beautiful cousin Katia ran away from the arranged marriage. Then my older sister, Monique, who was supposed to be the next one suitable, exposed her affair with the crown prince.

Finally, the duty landed on me.

Then again, the truth is that they sold me, and with that my family would get a great amount of gold from our King who didn't want to send one of his precious daughters to the Duke. So, he shoved the duty to one of his vassals. What a great king!

The first choice was my cousin, of course, a Duke's daughter, beautiful with high standing. Who would have thought that she would run away?

Then my sister Monique's affair, I don't want to remember how shocked my father was, or so I thought. In the end, I was the chosen one, Lucia Reid, the illegitimate daughter of the Count of Reid.

Why? Why were they so afraid to marry the Duke? Well, he is the mighty conqueror of the continent, of course, the Great Duke of Docrem feared by all nations, but there were rumors that he was a cruel and uneducated man who preferred violence rather than peace. He had grown in the military fields and no one had ever seen him without his helmet, so it was said that he had an unsightly face.

Everyone knew his brother forced him to marry to acquire many lands from Crotia, and our King paid the alliance with Docrem with a young noble wife for the Duke. His brother accepted it gladly and ordered the Duke to find his bride immediately. But which man would like a forced marriage.

"Miss Lucia, we have to get you dressed."

My maid Irina was crying, she had been crying since the announcement.

"Sigh… Irina, please… don't cry"

"But Miss…"

"Come, help me change."

However, even with the sad news, I wasn't worried at all, because I knew something that others didn't. The man I was about to marry would let me go after a few months of marriage. He would give me a house and a beautiful villa, and I would change my name and live a peaceful life away from the rest of the country.

How do I know this? Because I dreamed about this novel. Yes, I was living inside the storyline of a book where the mighty Duke was the hero, and the heroine was no one else but the princess of Crotia, Rebecca.

The story began when he came to Crotia to take me to his country. She was curious about him, as, unlike everyone else, she had long admired the great hero of Docrem. Then she saw him on the road while she was hiding behind some large trees.

Some kind of encounter had to happen and right on time, bandits appeared from the forest. The Duke took off his helmet and it was love at first sight. Then he rescued her with the help of his loyal knights, the time stopped, and hearts flew into the sky…

Well, I guess, that's what's happening right now. They are meeting and falling in love, and I will be free in a few months. I only wish to get through these days without drawing unwanted attention.

"The Great Duke of Docrem has arrived." The guard at the door announced.