The night

I walked into the dining room, nobody looking to be in a cheery mood... Except for Gaston, as always. But I knew that this time it was because he got to help choose my punishment, Lords have mercy. I read that a common punishment for Royalty sneaking around is to shame them, when I say Shame you must know that there are several ways to shame a person.

They can strip you bare and pour cold water all over you and just leave you there until you dried all the way up and then pour scorching hot water on you, it could leave burn marks that could lead to scars, scars are considered shameful on a woman in the Royal family.

They could also throw you out of the Royal family, but Father loves me too much to do that, no matter what I did.

They could force a marriage, but wait, that's already happening!

There are many ways to shame a person, those are just a fraction to what else they can do. We all ate in an uncomfortable silence, Gaston smiling the whole time at me with that stupid grin. Father waited until after dinner to discuss my punishment, he dismissed the brothers and the servants.

He took a deep breathe and began "Rosemary, I don't want to punish you too harshly but it's not up to me." I could feel the color drain from my face, Father grimaced and continued "I have left it up to Gaston... He has already told me your punishment. He will announce it." he looked at his hands while Gaston was beaming while he said "Rosemary! Your punishment, which your father has so kindly let me choose, is that you will live with me when we get married. What that intels is that when you and I get married we will go to my kingdom, and you'll never get to come back here. Each special event your family will go there to see you!"

I could feel my soul leave my body right then. Leave... and never return? My childhood home, the place that I was born, raised, and stayed in a deep coma... and I wouldn't be able to come back?! WHO WAS HE TO DECIDE?!

I was about to have an outburst but the eavesdropping Theodore beat me to it "WHAT? IS THAT EVEN ALLOWED?!" he shrieked. Father looked close to tears when he said "It's her husband... he can do whatever he pleases." with finality.

"No no no no no NO NOOOOO!" Theodore became hysterical and it got everybody in the castles attention. They all came to see what the fuss was about and saw that Theodore was hysterically sobbing while yelling "No!" they all took him back to his room and tried to comfort him.

I quickly stood up without another word and stormed up to my room. I sighed and began crying. How did I get stuck in this situation? Gaston had no mercy. I know that now. Fine, he shows no mercy so I won't either. I'll make sure that he regrets everyday that we're married... if we get married.

What- What if I just... fell out the window? Would anyone care? Would father care? Why would he care then? He didn't care just now. He'll never care. I keep thinking these things and get closer, and closer to my window. My window is extremely large, it takes up half of the wall.

I open the window and look down, kind of a far drop if you don't have something to help me shimmy down. If I were to fall... 3 out of 4 chances I would die. Nobody would miss me. I feel like I'm in a trance while thinking and climbing onto the window ledge, Bruce and Colton walked into the room and froze right where they were.

Bruce choked out "Sister... what're you doing up there? There's no need to be up there."

I turned and looked at them "Bruce! Colt-" I was about to finish my brothers name when my foot slipped while I was turning around. It felt odd... falling in the air, you know that feeling when you're about to fall asleep but then there's that jolt that wakes you up?

Well, that's not how it felt for me, in fact it felt... numb.