Arranged Alliance

Prologue

Nora Duke

I was standing at the railing of the gallery. I heard footsteps behind me, and I knew who it was. Nicholas. We were just going to sleep. I wore my sleeping wear, which was royal blue sleeves, less slip and a gown which ended at my upper thigh. He also came and laid on the railing. I glanced at him. He was also wearing a royal silk dress shirt and black trousers. A few minutes we kept in silence. Until we hear a loud noise from the backyard.

"What was the noise?" I asked Nicholas.

"Maybe some thief has come," he said, in amusement.

"Really? Then why aren't you going?" I asked, terrified at the idea. He strained his posture and turned over to me.

"Are you really serious? Maybe there was a cat or a mouse." He spoke.

"What kind of cat or mouse does these kinds of noises make?" He just shrugged, I sighed. "Should we look?"

"Oh, come on, Nora, maybe it will be wind or something like that. Why are you so into it?" He said, coming close to me.

"I-I was just s-scar-, Nicholas w-what are you d-doing?" I asked when my back hit the railing and his hand locked me on either side, I was forced to stop my breath. "Nicholas?" I tried to call him. It just came out as a whisper.

I hear another noise from down. I jumped but he was in his position. Suddenly, the sky was pitch black, there were no stars, only the moon behind the clouds. My breathing rate increased as he came close to me. Infront of me he was standing and behind me was a railing. I was trapped.

"Nicholas, there is some-, I-" I wanted to say something, but he put his finger on my lips.

"Look at me Nora." He cut me off and I did. "Forget everything, just think it's only me and you." He said it in almost a whisper like someone would listen. It was almost like he didn't speak. I narrowed my eyes and tried to back away, but my hand slipped from the railing, but I caught it again and gripped it tightly. Suddenly there was a storm. My hair was spreading across my face. I couldn't remove it. Over my face because I felt like if I moved a little, I would fall.

He used his hand to remove my hair off my face. He smiled at seeing my face, but I couldn't smile. I didn't know what was happening. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears very loudly as I felt my breathing rate increase, but it almost felt like I wasn't breathing. I was on the edge; I didn't know what he wanted. He came closer to us, our bodies touching, but I stepped back. I couldn't look behind; I was just hypnotized by his eyes. He smiled, the smile that took my breath away and skipped my heart. The smile made me fall like crazy.

But what he said and did next made my eyes wide and skipped all of my heartbeat.

"Revenge from your stepmother." He whispered with that smile and pushed me. My back slipped through the railing as I was a piece of cloth. I tried to catch his collar or extend my hand so he could grab it, but he was just standing there watching me fall with that smile on his face.

Suddenly, it felt like time had stopped. His smile, whispering, pushing me off the railing, me trying to grab his hand, him leaning on the railing to see me all with that smile. I just stared at him in horror. At that time, I was blank. Then there was a sharp pain in my head, then my back, and then my body went limp.

And I was just staring at him who was still smiling at me.