Betrothed

Chapter 9: Allie

I admire the room around me. The tall ceilings with intricate designs, the polished marble floors, the gold pillars rising up to the ceiling, it must be a ballroom somewhere. I see Nikki across the room in an expensive purple gown; she is talking to a very regal looking lady and a small child looking equally as fancy. But purple is the color of royalty, I think confused, why would Nikki be wearing the royal color, she is not even of the upper class. I also see Maddie talking to an opulently dressed young man with short black hair. I turn around when I feel a tap on my shoulder. As I face the man who tapped me my breath is taken away. The man was gorgeous, he had dusty brown hair and dark green eyes and he was about a good half a meter taller than me. He was not as expensively dressed as Nikki's or Maddie's companions, but he was fancy none the less.

"Pardon me miss but I was wondering if you would care to dance with me?" He asks me after a polite bow. I do a slight curtsy in reply.

"I would be delighted to." I say in response and he takes my hand and starts to lead me to the dance floor. However, just as we are getting ready to dance a young man with very pale blond hair and dresses all in finery approaches us.

"Lord Evan, how many times do I have to ask you to stay away from my betrothed?!" The newcomer says. Betrothed! I think. He means me. The newcomer turns to me then, "Allie... Allie wake up... Allie it is Nikki."

I wake up and look around groggily. It was all just a dream, but it seemed so real. I turn my attention to Nikki and I remember where she was, my father's bedroom. I can also tell that she is on the verge of crying.

"Nikki?" I say. "What happened in my father's bedroom? Is everything alright?" I look at her and can clearly see the tears that she is trying so desperately to hold in.

"Allie, your father is the scum of the earth." She says finally.

"Why? What happened? Oh, please do not tell me that he fired you!" I exclaim as the terrible thought comes into my head.

"No, I still work for you and your father Allie. I am just going to have some new responsibilities tacked onto what I already have." She says and I do not understand. What more can my father ask of her? She already does every task imaginable. Whatever this new responsibility is though I can tell that it has gotten to her, and bad.

"And that responsibility would be..." I try to inquire.

"Oh Allie, do you not get it! Your scum bag of a father took away my purity!" She broke down then and I gasp in surprise. The thought had crossed my mind briefly that he might try something such as this, but that did not make me feel any better. A man and a woman should not have intercourse unless they are married, which my father and Nikki certainly are not. Plus, it is disturbing that he would sleep with someone who is his own daughter's age.

"I am damaged, ... used." Nikki said in a weak and shaky voice. I just let her lean her head on my shoulder and cry because I do not know what else to do.

"Nikki, you are not damaged or used. You are perfect and any gentleman would be extremely lucky to court you." Nikki just continues to sniffle but she sits up and looks at me. "Take tomorrow for example, Lord Quentin will not view you as damaged but instead he will view you as perfect." Nikki looks at me incredulously.

"How do you know of Lord Quentin?"

"Maddie told me, and do not worry I am going to help you sneak out tomorrow undetected."