“Deah Rose!”
Deah’s head popped up from the garden she was tending. Her father’s voice echoed off the stone walls surrounding her. Seconds later, her father appeared at the arched doorway.
“Ah there you are, my dear. I have the most wonderful news.” His jubilance was infectious and she found herself smiling. “I’ve found him!” He exclaimed, waving his arms around.
“Who? Found who?”
“Him! Your future husband. It’s all arranged!” In his excitement he didn’t see his daughter go pale and drop the shears she had been holding. He heedlessly continued, “It solves everything for both him and us. He needs a wife and I need you married before any of those thieving warlords cast their eyes your way.”
“Papa.” She breathed, scolding.
“Oh, do not worry about a thing. It will be a small exchanging of vows in a week. Nothing big. Nothing to fret over.” He patted her shoulder.
Papa!” Deah ground out.
It was as if he was deaf as well as blind, rattling on about how much her marriage would benefit him.
“Papa!” She yelled, stomping her foot, determined to have his attention.
He blinked, finally focusing on her. “What’s wrong Deah? I thought you would be happy for me.”
“Papa, you have just told me that I am going to be marrying someone in a week’s time and you still have yet to tell me who!” Deah fought back her frustration.
“Oh.” He only allowed a few seconds of worry before jumping back to jubilation. “Alarik Carrington.” He proudly proclaimed.
The hope of having at least met her future husband was crushed. She recognized the name, but had never met the fearsome lord.
“He’ll be here in a matter of minutes. Go throw on something pretty.” He nudged her toward the door before taking off down the hallway himself.
Deah stumbled and leaned against the doorframe. Closing her eyes she tried to reconcile her suddenly turbulent mind with what she had to do.
“Might as well go get pretty.” She muttered sarcastically. Turning to go to her room she found herself toe to toe with a stranger. A tall stranger with a sinfully strong, muscled chest. A fact she could see quite well, her slim nose being inches from it.
The man caught her by the shoulders to stop her from bumping into him. “Hello.” He rumbled in amusement.
Her gaze flew up and straight into his mischievous smile. “Who are you?”
His smile burst from his core into a full-bodied laugh and she found herself smiling up at him even as she blushed. “Nice to meet you too, Miss…?” He tilted his head to the side.
“Oh!” With a gasp she remembered why she had been in such a hurry. “I have to go! I’m late!” She didn’t wait for him to say goodbye. Instead she ran.
As she made it to her room she could only spare a second of thought for the handsome stranger she had literally just run into. He was probably one of the hundreds of business associates of her father’s constantly coming in and out of the house, yet she couldn’t figure out how she hadn’t noticed him before.
Quickly she pulled off her dirt-streaked gardening dress, replacing it with her only jade velvet gown. She tried not to care about how sudden this all was, but in the back of her heart she was still stunned. It was too much to handle too fast.
It had only been a few minutes since her father had sent her off to change but she still felt rushed. Her breakneck run to her room had done little to escape the hypnotic pull that the handsome stranger had held over her. However, she no longer had the luxury of such distraction, engaged as she now was. Instead, she had to focus on her future husband. Hurriedly making her way to the great hall she focused only on moving quickly yet gracefully.
The noisy chaos within the hall silenced as her father noted her entrance and stood. Everyone turned toward him; all but one. There, off to the side and looking an odd combination of sheepish and alluring, was her stranger. He did not take his eyes off her even as her father began speaking. It made her arms tingle and she had to force herself to look up at her father.
“My friends, I have asked you all here for a wonderful announcement.” He clapped his hands. Deah began to wonder if he might simply be eager to be rid of her. “I have found a husband for my daughter.”
When he motioned for Deah to stand beside him she obediently made her way forward.
“Come on up and meet your bride, Carrington.” He called gleefully
Deah shuddered. Her father sounded as if he were presenting a prize, not his only daughter. Her eyes rose as she saw a pair of shoes step up in front of her. She gasped. Standing before her was her handsome stranger.
As he bowed, he took a gentle hold of her hand and pulled her closer as he stood tall once again. He whispered down to her as she found that she was once again inches from colliding with his chest. “It’s nice to officially meet you Deah.”
Startled at his tone she looked straight into his sparkling eyes, forgetting that she was supposed to be acting appropriately demure. “You knew!” She accused in a fierce whisper, embarrassment clouding her normally calm composure.
Looking around at their audience he gave a slight nod before addressing the men watching. “As wonderful as it is to be with all of you to celebrate our new engagement I must speak with my fiance for a few moments alone.” He bowed with a gracious smile and pulled her along with him to a side door leading to a small patio.
She merely waited until the door closed before she rounded on him. “You knew who I was in the hallway and didn’t tell me!”
He shrugged. “I figured you already knew who you were and didn’t need me telling you.”
Exasperated she folded her arms, “That is not what I meant.”
“I know.” He conceded, gently pulling her into him. She would have pushed him away for his brazen audacity if it hadn’t felt so comforting. “And I’m sorry I could not prevent your father’s method of meeting. I was by that door earlier hoping to meet you before he did all this but it didn’t quite work out as I planned.” His grin was anything but apologetic. “You do run quite swiftly though.”
Embarrassment coursed through her. “I was in a hurry.”
“Yes. I could see that.” He paused.
Deah looked up at him as he held her waist, a small smile dancing on the corners of her mouth.
His smile warmed her skin and tickled her toes with pleasure. “I suppose now would be a good time to formally introduce myself. Alarik Carrington, Lord Dunharein.”
To read part 2 of Deah’s story, click here.
