Chapter 2

After waking goodbye to my parents, I begin entering the carriage and starting my journey to my new home. The wedding will be held in 2 weeks time. Looking around at the scene around my home, that I grew up with. The blossom of flowers is beginning as spring is now here, it saddens me that I will not see this place for a little while, but as my mother said, the Duke should allow me to visit them...right? I began to invest myself in a book to keep my mind off of where I was going and to keep myself from worrying. Eventually the carriage came to a stop, I was welcomed and took in the view of the Dukes mansion. It was beautiful, but not a colorful beauty. The architecture was a unusual design, you could tell a courtyard was in the middle and the rest of the palace squared off the court yard surrounding it, you could see the garden to the side of the mansion, which seemed to have been forgotten about. 'I could possibly work on the garden as a past time' I thought to myself.

"Good evening mi lady." A elder women bowed in front of me, which took my by surprise as I am not royalty. Well not yet anyway. I plastered a genuine smile on my face.

"Good evening"

"I am sure that you're tired from your journey, would you like to rest Madam Sara? Dinner will not be served for a few hours, so if you would like to rest we can wait and give you the tour tomorrow" she stated, she seemed very kind. I could also tell she was nervous as she doesn't know how I am and I imagine working with royals, you find most of them to be selfish, arrogant people. Which I will forbid myself to ever be.

"Thank you for the offer, I do not mind taking a tour now, as the journey was not too rough." I smiled, as I said a lie. The journey was long and I am very tired, but I would like to start to connect to where I will be spending my life from now. She simply nodded and begin by taking me in. 15 stairways. 43 different rooms. 10 conference rooms. 8 dinning rooms. 3 kitchens. The best part of this whole place is the library that is away from the mansion behind the garden. Once I fix up the garden I imagine reading and taking in the view from the building. She finally showed me to my room, it was very big and clean. It was modernized furniture with today's society of course.

"Duke Liam shall be entering soon." Nanny Nini said. I nodded and let out a sigh. This is it, I will be meeting the Duke face to face. Why is my heart barely beating. I knew it would be hard to love someone that is nothing more than an arrangement. But, I never expected my heart to endure more damage then the worries that keep flooding my mind.

I hear the door creak open.

"Good evening Sara" I turn around to greet the Duke. He is handsome, no doubt. You look into his green eyes and see them sparkle, but can the dull of all of the pain he must have endured. I imagine a human with such rumors had to endure some type of pain and misery to become who they are.

"Good evening Duke Liam" I stutter, I try to play off my stutter by bowing.

"Oh please call me Liam, after all we will be having a lot of fun together no?" I am taken by surprise. I find myself clenching my jaw. But, can't hold back my mouth no matter how hard I try.

"That seems to be something that should wait till after the wedding, Duke Liam" right now I am not comfortable calling him by only his name. I barely know him. We are simply acquaintances that are bound to be married.

"If I would've know that the beauty came with a bad attitude, I would've never accepted such an offer from your father. Who begged for you to be here...In fact I believe you should beg just as your father did." He mocks my family upon my arrival. What am I to do? If I keep acting cruel, it will only increase his bitterness in his words and if he does decided to take me back it will only hurt my family more.

"Excuse my I'll words Liam. I am very tired from today's journey and was simply planning on resting. I wish no ill will and will refrain from speaking in such harsh tones." I apologize. Of course I didn't mean what I said but for now this is what needed to be done to help protect my family.

"Much better, dinner is about to be severed, but if you would rather sleep I'm sure we could rest and eat in the morning" at first I thought he was being genuine until I saw the smirk on his face. That's when I realized this isn't my room, but our room. I should've known I would not be given a room for my own. This must be amusing to him. I've heard of his rendezvous with ladies all around. Even if it goes this way I know I can't reject him. He is to be my husband, but I pray that it not be today.

"Dinner sounds great I will rest after dinner" I say as I walk beside and place my hand around his arm. We began to make our way to the dinning room, with nothing but hostile, uncomfortable silence.