"Miss, it is time to get you dressed for dinner."
Lilly's appearance usually filled her heart with joy. Now, she was just another person who would report every mistake she made to her father.
She didn't know for sure if this was true. It just seemed like more and more of the things she did incorrectly made it to her father's ears.
It was clear how disappointed he was in her. Her need to please her father led her to dropping pleasant relations with even her favorite maid.
"I see. Then let us get started." The fake smile she had grown accustomed to wearing didn't fool either of them.
"I believe blue would be a good choice." The color of her family. It was the last time she would be able to proudly wear her family's colors.
Eva held her arms out as she let Lilly dress her. "This dress looks lovely on you, miss." Lilly was always quick to praise her, almost as if it was mechanical at this point.
Eva briefly wondered what Lilly truly thought of her. 'Does she hold some special fondness for me? Or is this just another part of her job?' The latter thought saddened her.
"Thank you, Lilly," Eva said.
She always made sure to thank the servants when necessary. She may be Lilly's mistress, but Lilly was just as much a part of her family as her mother and father.
"Which jewelry would you like to wear tonight, Miss?" Lilly held up a few choices from her jewelry box. "Let's go with the sapphires. Even though this is an informal dinner, I am still meeting my future husband."
Lilly put the other jewelry away and adorned her with the sapphire jewels her father had gifted her. They had been a present for her thirteenth birthday. She remembered how excited she had been to receive them.
The gift was for her to wear to her first official noble party. Normally, she would have entered slowly into society with her mother. However, their family was anything but normal.
It was after that party that her father slowly turned cold. She had not understood until she overheard the other nobles laughing about the fact that her father did not have an heir.
Of course, she had said that she was his heir.
The boys laughed in her face. "A woman can't be an heir. Silly girl! You better hope someone wants to marry into your family."
Her father had walked in at some point during this conversation. They went straight home after that. Her father was furious with her for arguing with the boys. She never understood what she did wrong.
'There is no point focusing on the past now,' Eva thought. 'The father that gifted me this jewelry died long ago.'
Just because there was a law saying women could earn a noble title by merits, didn't mean that it was looked upon favorably in noble society. That was what her younger self had been ignorant of.
Finally ready, Eva took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Our guest shall arrive shortly."
Lilly helped her put on the finishing touches and rushed her out of her room and down the stairs.
Eva waited patiently next to her father and mother as they waited for Hans to arrive. Like it or not, she was about to meet her future husband. Her stomach whirled with a mixture of nervousness and anxiety.
As much as she would like to be anywhere but here, this man was going to be important in her life.
'What is taking so long? The messenger announcing his arrival had arrived several moments ago.'
The door opened slowly.
'Ok, calm down.' She took a deep breath and looked up from the floor with her head held high. She put on her best noble smile and folded her hands in front of her.
"Sir Hans," the butler announced, as their visitor entered the Arco household.
A man no older than twenty walked into the entryway. He had medium length, slicked back, brown hair. His eyes were a startling green as they looked into Eva's eyes.
A blush creeped onto her cheeks. Her knees felt weak. 'What is wrong with me?' Is this what love feels like?'
She had been around the opposite gender at noble parties and when she trained in combat, even joked around with the knights attached to her family. Never before had she felt this way.
"Hans! How was your trip?" Her father reached out to shake his hand.
"Good! The trees were in full bloom along the road. It has been too long since I was in this part of the country."
Her father put his arm around Han's shoulders and they walked away like old friends.
Eva was confused. 'Isn't it polite to also greet the ladies of the home? And why is father being so friendly with someone he has never met?'
Her mother turned and climbed back up the stairs from where she had come. In the end it was only Eva who was left in the entry hall.
'What is my future going to look like if my fiance does not even greet me upon our first meeting?'
Stumbling, she made her way to the dining hall. Another look of confusion crossed her face when she realized the room was empty.
'Where did they go?'
"Miss, the men have retired to the den. The Viscount hopes you have a wonderful meal." The butler bowed and left the room.
'All of that preparation and I am to eat by myself?'
Her gloved hand balled into a fist. She shook slightly as she held in the anger coursing through her veins.
'Well at least I don't need to pretend to like him.'
With a huff, she sat down at the table. A maid quickly brought out the dishes for tonight. Eva remembered her appearance and made sure to act properly around the servants.
It was a small wish of hers, to remain dignified until the end. No matter what her father decided, this was still her family. She intended to make sure that the Arco family name was not tarnished.
She finished her meal in silence. 'The least he could have done is have dinner with me.'
Returning to her room, she sat down in front of her mirror.
'I guess Father doesn't trust me to talk to my future fiance before the wedding.'
Lilly helped her change into more comfortable clothes. Her jewelry was placed back into her jewelry box, but she stopped Lilly from touching her hair.
"Thank you Lilly. I will finish the rest myself. You may retire for the night."
Lilly bowed and left the room quietly. Eva let out a long sigh. She removed the ornaments that held her hair up. The intricate braids fell down.
Unbraiding them slowly she picked up her brush to comb out her light blue locks. The same hair color that matched her father's. It went well with her dark blue eyes.
The light blush returned to her cheek as she remembered Han's bright green eyes. Her brush paused as she remembered the only glimpse she got of the man she would spend the rest of her life with.
'What a waste of such a pretty dress.'
It had been a long time since she'd had an occasion to get dressed up. She hardly received any invitations to attend events. The ones she did receive were out of obligation to her father.
She did find the parties to be stifling, but it was still nice to be invited. Hearing about an event after the fact was depressing in its own way. Perhaps, the only time she truly felt happy was when she was out hunting with the knights.
One of the knights had even begun to teach her magic. It was probably one of the few secrets she was able to keep from her father. She wanted to surprise him with it when she became proficient enough to use it effectively.
She placed her brush down. She braided her long hair into two braids. The action was soothing for her. The tension that had gathered in her muscles from the events of the day relaxed and she was able to unwind.
She stared at herself one more time before pulling the covers of her bed back and slipping inside. It was in the first dregs of unconsciousness that she wondered what her married life would be like.
A hazy picture of a young man with green eyes and children played across her eyelids. It was only in her dreams, where she allowed herself to see a happier version of what her life could be.
The only sound in the bedroom was the crackling of the fire in the fireplace. Eva did not wake up when her door suddenly opened and a lone figure stepped into her bedroom.
A man stepped quietly into the room and looked down at the sleeping young woman. His bright green eyes looked down on her greedily. Hearing footsteps from the hall, he quietly slipped out of the young woman's room.
It was not time to be discovered, yet.
******
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