Annabeth sat in front of her vanity while her mother pulled and tugged at her long white hair and twisted it into a knot at the nape of her neck. Her stomach was full of fear, anxiety, and utter shame as she looked at her reflection.
"Mother?"
Her mother's head snapped up and made contact with her ice blue eyes in the mirror. She could see anger and frustration in her mother's eyes and flinched.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to speak unless spoken to?!"
There was a strong stinging sensation in her knuckles and she quickly retracted her had and cradled it to her chest.
"Mother? Why must I marry this man? I don't know him and the little I have spoken to him, he has made mean remarks and grabs me roughly," her voice was shaky as she fought back tears while she thought back to hour her betrothed had manhandled her on more than one occasion.
"Silence! You have no right to question him or us! You must marry him to pull us out of poverty! What he chooses to do to you is none of my concern! He is allowed to treat you anyway he sees fit and you have no right to fight him! If you would actually behave and do as you are told he wouldn't need to be so rough with you!"
Annabeth looked down and slowly stood from the stool and walked over to her bed where her dinner dress lay. It was royal blue with beautiful white lace trim around the neck, waist, and sleeves. Once it was on she noticed how it showed the top of her cleavage and was quite snug around her waist, something she wasn't very comfortable with.
"We need to show your betrothed your best side since your attitude and mouth aren't very attractive, your body will have to do," her mother said before storming out of her room.
Once again Annabeth lowered her head in shame, feeling like she was no better than cattle being put up for auction. With a deep breath Annabeth quietly walked to the dinning area with her hands folded in front of her and her head hung low.
"Annabeth, darling. Don't you look ravishing this evening," her fiance Alexander said.
She slowly lifted her head and planted a small smile on her soft pink lips and whispered, "Thank you."
There was an awkward silence as she watched Alexander's eyes roam up and down her body while licking his lips. A sick grin played on his mouth as he bruised her pale skin with his tight grip.
Annabeth began to struggle, trying to pry his hand of her delicate wrist so she could run and hide from his gaze. Unfortunately, it did nothing but anger Alexander as his grip only got impossibly tighter and her jerked her closer to his body.
"Stand still you little wench. If you don't stop your struggling I will take you to your room and show you who you belong too," he hissed.
She nodded her head with her body visibly shaking from the amount of fear that was coursing through her veins. Alexander didn't seemed pleased with her response as he quickly raised his hand and brought it down across her cheek. In the blink of an eye she was sprawled on the floor holding her burning cheek as tears weld up in the corner of her eyes.
That night Annabeth decided she had enough. She changed into her black flannel dress, slipped on her boots and quietly made her way to the front door. Wrapping her cape around her shoulders she quietly slipped away in the cold snowy night.