Broke, Beaten, Bound.

"You could at least try to smile. Maybe this is why everyone thinks that you're a bitch." Priscilla teased her older sister, hoping for almost any response. It was a hard day for everyone, yet it was supposed to be her big day, as she was preparing for her wedding. She was almost ready to head out the door and down the aisle, yet Priscilla knew why it was such a hard step for Bella to make. Outside that door waited what was supposed to be a meaningless one night stand, yet instead she stood here pregnant with what was close to being a bastard child. Their families had chose to simply bring together and marry their children. Merchants drove the economy and helped shape the way the world developed. Politicians fine tuned the overall trends and helped ensure smooth transitions between powers that were and powers that will be. When combined, their family's social standing would only be further backed by the groom's money, leading to an overall positive effect for them. Bella didn't care though, for while she had been forgiven by the family, her moment of infidelity cost her the marriage she'd held dear and her best friends now shunned her for being promiscuous, yet they didn't know the reality in her bedroom life. Bella looked at Priscilla, almost looking for a reason to smile, but didn't find it. Turning back to her mirror, she sighed. "Come together to form a more perfect union. It's bullshit. Marriage only exists as an over complicated way to deal with every person's fear and mistrust of others. Declare your love for the gods? Hogwash. Declare your love so if your beloved f***s a w***e, you get to suffer in silence, but when you escape the unfulfilling boredom of his d**k you're shunned and handed off to the next mutt. At least this one knows how to f**k properly, but not like that matters now that I have a ring he'll probably find another girl like I was and repeat his f****d behavior. Dammit." Stepping down, she kissed her younger sister on the forehead. "If you ever consider f*****g a man, make sure you're either willing to die or be attached to it for the rest of your respectable life." Walking out the door, she signaled for her sister to follow, acting as her bridesmaid for the event, and walking the aisle for her father refuse. Regardless, Bella would have preferred Priscilla there even if he was willing, choosing to have an angel beside her versus a pig. While normally a marriage would not be hosted in such situations, he'd actually insisted because it looked better on his standing as a merchant, appealing to the human aspect which would be detailed to others later. The ceremony was rather simple, set atop the roof top of the castle building, with the two parties divided by family. On the right was her family, elegantly dressed in white attire with purple accents denoting their standing in society, designed after their family crest. On the left, the groom's family was fully dressed in black and red outfits, each decoratively detailed with inlaid gold detailing their close dealings with coin. The decor had been adjusted to match their familial color, and a new crest had been cast and set above where they would stand for their ceremony. As they stood by the castle's wall, the priest stood at a distance down the aisle to avoid obscuring the view for the overly invested fathers. Bella had been given no say in what went anywhere, having watched the supposed professionals shape every detail. Standing behind all the seated guests stood a number of journalists waiting to detail the flow of their transition and divulge it for every nation to know. "Do you agree to take Isabella Von Kept as your wife?" He agreed, smiling at her, but she knew that he didn't want to be there any more the she did, having talked in surprising length about how neither wished to be a pawn in their respective family's games. Turning to the cleric, she waited on him to say her line, yet her heart began to pound instead, racing intensely as her mouth filled with the taste of bile. "Do you agree to take Derrek Mason as your husband?" Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him tightly while tears began to dwell in her eyes. Standing on the side, Priscilla watched, seeing the strong outer demeanor wearing away rapidly. "I can't" she wailed, and without giving any further indication, she pulled him with her over the edge of the roof, both falling into the passing river below. The castle had been set against the river bank, the tops of the towers leaning out over the water. Watching everything from the sidelines, Priscilla fell deadly silent, horrified by the scene that unfolded before her. The two fathers stood, a few uncles jumping up as well, but most the women sat dazed with the remaining men. Everyone knew that there was no surviving the fall, and after a short pause a few people ran after them, having to scurry their way down on of the side towers, but everyone still knew. Knelt down in the aisle, the priest had taken to prayer, adamantly saying some predetermined lines about his undying faith. Extended family turned to their nearest kin and confirmed what they had just saw. Priscilla simply dropped to her knees and stared at the podium where her sister was supposed to be, where he only friend in the world was supposed to be, yet all that was left was a bouquet of red roses torn up from being thrown down.