The sun came peeking over the horizon in its clumsy array of white sheets.As the rays came piercing into the dimly illuminated room,she woke with a start.She looked over at her gable window and rose immediately,

"I'm late...again"she mumbled as she carried herself hurriedly into her observatory.

She bathed quickly and packed her usual french bonnet style in a rush, trying to minimise every possible second she apparently didn't have.She flung herself down the creaking stairs and hurried

downstairs.

"Morning mother,see you later mother"she said trying to scurry past her mother

"Hold it right there young lady"her mother ordered and she halted the next step she was about to take.She froze instantly, knowing she had been caught this time.She then stiffly turned to meet the demanding gaze of her mother, rather coyly

"Yes mother"she said,her feud innocence deceiving nobody

Her mother looked at her and let out a lengthy exasperated sigh,pinching between her brows in frustration.This has become a norm with this child.

"Anastasia,you promised"she could only stiffle out

"I know mother, this shan't repeat itself,this time you've got a wager",she said not knowing how best to soothe her mother

Her mother shook her head,then waved her hand in dismissal,

"Mr Alfaras is waiting for you in his carriage,do

consider that man as well,Ana"

She nodded her head derisively,raising her hand as in a solemn vow,

"I would from now on",she declared and ran through the door,then she came back,

"before I forget"she said and quickly planted a peck on her mother's cheeks,"see you later",and with that,she was gone.

A smile tugged at her mother's lips replacing the slightly creased brows as she watched her daughter head off

Anastasia hurried to Mr Alfaras's home,she searched around desperately for him, silently praying he hadn't left and much to her relief,he was just leading the carriage out of the manger.

He smiled on sighting her,

"Late again, Tasha, still don't want to take this seriously,eh?"he questioned with a stiffled grin

Ana pressed her lips into a straight line,

"but you know I don't like the idea of being the hundredth wife,for someone old enough to be my father",she retorted, slightly vexed

Alfaras smiled and walked over to assist her climb on to her seat,

"most girls your age are married you know,you'd be the oldest maiden in the village if you keep up

this attitude of yours",he said as she settled quite comfortably into the seat

She bit her lips in utter defeat,he had a point, again.She then heaved a sigh of surrender,she had to accept her fate of being married to a man she didn't love and never knew,all because he weilded the power to.Each time she remembered the fact she was helpless in this situation,the more her insides knotted in anger.

'What happened to true love and genuine happiness',she asked herself time and time again

She was only sixteen and yet forced to attend lessons,for as long as she could remember in how to be a proper mistress,and if lucky,a wife,

and how to best please a man.She sighed again amid thoughts,as though to reconfirm her state of helplessness.

She was brought back from her escapade in thoughts' ville,by an unseemingly cast shadow.

A man veiling himself in a hood,rode a carriage larger than theirs and they were despicably close,

despite the fact it was an overly large road.

Ana squinted her eyes,she hadn't seen the man in the village before,and she knew practically every

one living in the village,it wasn't exactly large after all.She also knew from the looks of his entourage,he wasn't royal too,she could tell from the manner in which he comported himself.He

seemed to be marauding himself, something which those pompous royals could never do, regardless their attempts, and he also had a sinister aura enshading him.

'Just who the hell was he?'

Their carriage headed out of the main village territory and into the connective roads encircled by trees

Then the man faced her and flashed a sight blinding smile.

She blinked but as she was about to look at the man again ,their carriage was tossed mightily off the road into the woods.

For a while,she lay on the ground,mentally assessing herself of whatever might had just happened.It was as though they were hit by the god of destruction himself.The reins on the horse loosened and it ran off following that encounter.

Low groans yanked her floating senses back into the present.She batted her eyes wide open and willfully writhed herself out from beneath what seemed to be the luggage compartment of the carriage.She unsteadily stood to her wobbly feet,

and looked around in search of Alfaras.She couldn't see him and his groaning seemed to have stopped Panic gripped her,

"Mr Alfaras?!",she called and another set of low groans came as her reply.She followed the sound of the now somewhat lyrical set of groans and found him beneath a large carriage wheel.

She tried to get it off but she couldn't,she knew

she couldn't do anything on her own so she traced her way to the road to get help.

Fortunately for her,passerby were on the road and she wasted no time in calling their attention

for assistance.

They fluxed into the woods and in no time,Mr Alfaras was being carried on a stretcher.She tried to get across to him but couldn't.

She could then feel a warm hand on her shoulder

and she turned to meet the concerned gaze of an elderly merchant,

"young lady,what are you doing here?"he queried

It was then her thought of her lesson returned back to her,

"I need to go to lady lily's lesson",she said briefly more to herself but the man heard it and his brows raised in realisation

"Well come on,I'm heading into town let me drop

you off,he gestured and Ana quickly accepted,she had no other choice after all

They arrived there after a while and Ana jumped off appreciating the man for his nice gesture.She

then returned her view to the large building before her and took measured steps in.

As she had predicted,a class was over,there was no way,miss lily wouldn't have noticed her absence,but she tried sneaking behind the bevy of ladies instead

"Anastasia!!",a voice called halting her advance and she silently berated herself,she sighed before going to the front of the class, slowly

She arrived before her teacher,hands clasped before her wearing an innocent look,

"Yes miss lily,in sorry I'm late,my carriage had an accident on my way here,thus the delay,I'm sorry"she pleaded

Miss lily's gaze assessed her,she did look a bit disheveled, and even had scratches leaving a pinkish hue to show for it,

*hmmm,I'm pleased it was minor,I wouldn't want

anything bad default my lovely students",she commented plainly

Ana cringed at the sound of the word,minor

Lady lily waves her hand to dismiss her,and then quickly added,

"do see me in my chamber afterwards",she said

causing Ana to freeze on the spot

No-one is called into her private chamber except

for one reason,and one reason alone...