Never Say Never ~An Arranged Marriage Love Story~

[romantic_story]

Chapter 12

As we walked to the dining hall together, Ashley had his hand intertwined with mine. At this moment I didn't mind like I normally did, it seemed more natural now. Of course I didn't love him, I don't know when I would be able to fully love him and be able to give him my heart, but I didn't hate him either. I didn't have the heart to hate him after he broke down in front of me.
He must have had a rough childhood, with his father it wouldn't be surprising. Instead of being brought up with love, like I was, he was probably brought up with hate from his father. I had heard about his father's random fits of rage. He could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time more than once.
At this point I wanted to be friends. Just friends at this point, nothing more, but nothing less. I wanted to know without a doubt that I would be able to trust him, before I gave him my heart.
When we entered the dining hall, I frowned not seeing Willow. I really wanted to talk to her, apologize and also forgive her.
Titus looks up when we enter. A flash of anger crosses his face so quickly that I believe I had to imagine it.
"Have you seen Willow?" I ask him when I sit down.
"Nope, not since last night, why?" He asks taking a bite of bacon.
"I was hoping to talk to her. Apologize." I reply starting to eat myself.
"If I see her, I'll tell her you're looking for her." He replies.
"Thanks. I think I'm going to go out to town today, do you guys want to come?" I ask.
"You already should know my answer." Ashley replies winking.
"What about you Titus?" I ask turning my attention to him.
"Only because there's nothing else to do." He sighs.
After we finish eating I run to my room to grab my purse, just in case we decide to stay out all day. By the time I reach the gate, Ashley and Titus are waiting for me.
It was nice outside, the perfect temperature, not too hot, but not too cold. There was a slight wind and the sun was shining brightly not a cloud in sight.
"So what do you guys want to do?" I ask as we walk along the road.
"What is there to do?" Ashley asks taking hold of my hand.
"Well if we had brought our swimming suits, there's a hidden lake with beautiful waterfalls north of town." I start.
"We don't have to have swim suits..." Titus says smirking at me.
I roll my eyes as a blush creeps up on my face, but I don't reply to him turning my attention to Ashley instead to help me.
"That's not a bad idea." He says.
"You're supposed to be on my side!" I say smacking him in the arm.
"I'm sorry!" He says putting his arms up in defense. "But I like his idea."
"Well we could also hover boarding. That's fun too." I say changing the subject. "You guys ever been?" I ask.
"Of course we've been. You're looking at the king of hover boarding." Titus says.
"So hover boarding it is." I say. "Follow me."
"How are you going to hover board with those shoes?" Titus asks motioning to my shoes.
"You just happen to be in the presence of the queen of hover boarding. I can hover board in any shoes." I say winking. "So Mr. King, I'd like to see you hover board in these things."
"I won't believe until I see." He says slyly.
The walk to the hover boarding park wasn't far. I hadn't been in weeks. Willow and I used to come all the time.
Willow. The thought of her made me frown. I wanted desperately to talk to her right now.
We reach the gate to the park and I walk up to the booth to pay.
"Princess, I haven't seen you here for a while. Where is your red headed friend, if you don't mind me asking." Simon, the owner of the park asks when I approach. "And who's your new friends?"
"It's nice to see you, Simon. Willow's busy right now. That's why she's not here." I say smiling I then motion to Ashley and add. "This is Ashley, my fiancé, and his friend Titus."
"Oh the Ungarians." He says frowning at the two of them.
"Be nice, they can be a pain in the butt, but they're nice at times." I say causing the both of them to start disagreeing with me. "Anyway, I need my board and then two boards for them." I say sliding the money across the table.
"You're going to pay for it?" Ashley asks looking down at me.
"Like you guys thought to bring money." I reply rolling my eyes.
Simon goes towards the back of the building and grabs a bag that had my name on it. He then grabbed two other bags from the corner. Because I came here often and also being the princess I was able to have an exclusive board and gear for only myself. It's programming already set up for me. He hands the bags to us and then permits us to enter the park.
It was outside and had a huge track with all sorts of twists and turns. The boards themselves were magnetic and had to be close to metal in order to work, of which the track was made of.
I walked over to the lockers and put my purse in one securing it with a key on a keychain which I hung around my neck. I then got busy putting my gear on. Strapping the belt around my waist which activated a slow descent if I fell off my board. I then turned on my board as I walked over the track, which was busy today. I waited for the right moment to get on and got several waves as others saw me waiting. I smiled and waved back.
Finally an opening came and I was going to take it, but Titus got on before I could ruining my chance to get on then.
"That's not very gentlemanly!" I yell, but I doubt he could hear me over his laughter.
Another opening comes quickly and I take it quickly. Ashley had also taken it and appeared on my side.
"I had to say I was doubtful about you in those heels." He says smiling at me as his hair was being blown into his face.
I had to say I adored his hair. It was always perfect no matter what it looked like.
"I can't believe you doubted me." I reply as I lean my body to the side to turn with the track without falling off.
"Just do me a favor, Luce." He says mirroring my motions.
"What?" I ask.
"Don't break that little fragile neck of yours before the wedding." He says with a wink before zooming off as he leaves me behind.
I smile as I speed up to catch up with him.

"Alright, I will admit that you are good, but not as good as me." Titus says as we were all busy taking off our gear.
"I'd like to see you do that with heels on!" I reply rolling my eyes.
I turn and glare at Ashley as I hear him chuckling. I couldn't hold my glare long though. His hair was windblown and I had never seen it more adorable than it looked now. I wish my hair could look like that after I was done with hover boarding.
"What?" He asks catching my stare.
"Nothing." I say shaking my head and diverting my eyes.
"Whatever, so are you guys hungry, because I'm starving." Ashley says.
"Me too." Titus says jumping up from where he was sitting. "Which restaurant has the best pizza here?" He asks smiling his signature, crazed smile at me.
I don't know if I've ever mentioned it before, but when he smiled his eyes had a crazed look in them and his smile was wild. It matched his personality perfectly. Ashley on the other hand had a smile that showed how cool and collected he was. One that could make any girl fall for him easily.
"Penny's is good." I reply as I take my belt off and put it and the board in the bag, before I grab my purse. "We could go there."
"Sounds good to me." Ashley says as we make our way to turn in our equipment.
"It's just a couple streets down." I say as we leave.
We had been hover boarding for a couple hours and it was still early in the afternoon.
"Everything at the palace is so formal, and then out here it's the opposite. I'd never imagine that you could hover board." Ashley says taking my hand in his like normal.
"My parents don't approve, but they never told me I had to stop either." I reply. "They were strict, but I still had tons of freedom. A lot more freedom then my mother said she had growing up."
"You mean your father isn't the one with royal blood in him?" Titus asks looking at me slightly shocked.
I shake my head and ask. "Why do you ask?"
"Well for an Ungarian, the man has to have the royal blood in him or else he couldn't be King. The council then chose the most suitable wife for him to marry." Ashley replies.
"What happens if they don't have a boy offspring?" I ask looking up at him.
"We don't age, so eventually they'll get a boy." He replies. "That's the one of the only exception of having more than one child." He adds like it was nothing.
"You're only allowed one child?" I ask shocked.
"It's the only way to keep the population under control." Titus replies on my other side.
"So does that mean, we can only have one child?" I ask frowning as I look into his icy blue eyes.
I had always wanted lots of children. Five to six was about my range. But the more the better. But I don't know if I could only live with having one.
He frowns at first seeing me upset, but then smiles. "We can have as many as you like."
I slowly smile and then blush as I hear Titus making fake gagging noises.
"We're here!" I say pointing to the building across the street of us.
When we enter a blast of cool air hits us and it felt good. It wasn't necessarily hot outside, but after hover boarding for hours and in the sun, it tended to get hot.
I drag them into the usual booth I sat at in the back and sat down. Ashley scoots down beside me as Titus sits across from us.
"Lucy!" A voice says as a guy approaches the table.
It was Luke, Cain's younger brother. He was a couple years older than me and we had never been that close, but he was a nice guy. He was also a waiter here.
"Hey Luke." I say smiling as he approaches our table. "This is Ashley and Titus." I add.
"I know who they are." He says not in the nicest tone. "Anyway, Welcome to Penny's, can I get you something to drink?"
We order our drinks and Luke leaves.
"You know a lot of unpleasant people. Do you know anyone that's actually nice?" Titus asks after he leaves.
"It's not my fault no one here likes Ungarians. I still don't really." I say shrugging.
"Well maybe I don't like you either." He says winking.
"If you didn't like me, you wouldn't be winking and if I didn't like you I wouldn't be hanging out with you or paying for everything." I reply.
After that Ashley and Titus argue over the type of pizza for us to get and then settle on the one with a ton of meat on it.
We then chatted as we waited for our pizza to come. Ashley held my hand as we did, his thumb absentmindingly stoking the top of my hand. I know he didn't notice he was doing it, but it sent my heart fluttering as he did.
I knew what I was doing wasn't safe. I couldn't allow myself to get this close to him, after what he did. But he was acting so sweet to me now. I knew I couldn't fall for him now. My head may have been smarter than my heart, but my heart was much, much louder.

[romantic_story]

Chapter 13

A small moan escapes my lips as I open my eyes to a dark forest. Not just any dark forest, but the dark forest. The one where all my nightmares happened.
I don't know why I always appeared here when someone was in my dream. Why is was a forest, and why it was always dark. It just was.
I stand up from where I was laying on the dusty, dirty ground, shaking the dirt off of myself as I did. My eyes were scanning the area around me, looking for someone.
I knew someone was out there. I could feel their presence. Their eyes lingering on my body. But where they were, I couldn't tell.
"Hello?" I call out, my voice shaking slightly. "I know you're out there." I add trying to put the small amount of courage I had into my voice.
It wasn't as if I was scared. But I was nervous. I knew who was out there. The same man who attacked me in the last one. I knew any day now he would come back. I was just hoping it wouldn't be so soon.
I jump as someone wraps their arms around me from behind. I would have screamed if their hand wasn't covering my mouth.
"A bit jumpy are we, my princess?" A low voice purrs into my ear.
I knew I knew that voice, but my mind could never fully recognize with any I knew. It could've been my mother's voice for all I knew. I guess it was a way he used to disguise him.
"Let me go." I say, or at least I try to say, but only a faint mumble comes out with his hand still over my mouth.
"If you promise to not misbehave, I'll remove my hand. Nod your head if you agree. I have other ways of keeping you silent." He says his lips brushing against my ear.
I nod slowly and shakily against his touch. Unlike Ashley's whose touch sent me shivers of electricity and excitement, his was terrifying.
"That's a good princess." He says removing his hand.
"What do you want from me?" I scream at him. Escaping from his grasp as I spin around to face him. "Who are you?"
He had a mask that covered his face. It was the same way with his voice, I recognized it, but my brain couldn't make a connection.
His hair was black and in a wild, yet perfect, mess, or at least it looked black. The shadows from the moonlight seem to wrap around him, making it seem like he was made in black and white. A top hat sat crooked on his head. The only color that could be seen on him was on his mask and his eyes. His bright red eyes that matched his mask. It was creepy how red his eyes were, almost the color of blood. Then I noticed his wings that were out behind him. The same color as his hair.
"Now, now, now." He says flashing a smirk. "What did I say about the screaming?"
His gloved hand moved in a blink of an eye and soon it was upon my throat, hovering just above my skin.
I couldn't help but let out a small shriek. With a flick of his wrist his finger brushed across my throat stopping my scream mid-sentence.
What did you do?! I screamed, or more I tried to scream, but nothing came out. I tried again, but nothing came out.
I attacked him, or at least I tried to, but he caught both my fists in mid air in his wrists.
"I could also paralyze your body, but I'd prefer not to do that. But if you make me I will." He says a small smirk still on his face. "But I only do what I must because I love you. Always know that I love you with all my heart." He says caressing the side of my face with his hand.
I wanted to scream at him so badly. But I couldn't and I was too scared to move.
"Now before we get into the former matters of why I'm here, I would like to apologize for my behavior last time. I was being so uncivilized. Do you forgive me, my princess? Nod if you do." He says still caressing my face.
I was too afraid to do anything else but nod. So I did, slowly and only once.
His hand stops on my chin as he slowly lifts it to where it was facing his. Slowly he moves his head to my neck where his lips press against it, gently at first and then harder, more hungrily. If any sound were able to come out I would have moaned as he hit my soft spot. My knees grow weak and if it wasn't for the hand that he had moved to around my waist I would have fallen.
He must have sensed my weakness, for I felt his lips curl into a smile before he bites me softly there, licking the blood that tricked slowly out of it. This time my knees do give out, but he catches me before I fall. I would have struggled if I wasn't so weak, if I wasn't so afraid of him.
"You hurt me today, my princess. Hurt me terribly." He mumbles into my neck as his lips trail up it towards my lips, where he kisses me rather hungrily before breaking it off as he moved back. "I saw what he did to you, how he hurt you. Then I watched in horror as he kissed you, as he touched you. As if it couldn't get any worse, but it did. You forgave him. After he did that to you, how could you forgive him. My princess, my angel, how could you do that? He doesn't even love you, like I do. He's not worthy of kissing you, of touching you, of loving you. Only me. Please say it's only me." He pauses as if he's waiting. He must have forgotten I couldn't talk.
He then smiles a sickly sweet smile.
"If you scream, or say anything unacceptable I will take your voice away until you will learn to obey me. Nod if you understand me." He says still smiling.
I nod slowly and he takes his hand and swipes it across my throat again.
"Now that mark is really a bother." He says as his finger traces the area above my heart. "I could get rid of it, but where's the fun in that? It should go away, once I kill that-" He stops himself with a smile. "Now what kind of gentleman would I be swearing in front of a lady?"
"Just tell me what you want." I say softly. "And please leave me alone."
"But, my princess, how could I ever leave you alone when all I want is you? You see once I want something, I will have it no matter the cost. So I'm going to give you a mark of my own, right where you will always see it." He says smiling as he fingers an area above my eyebrow.
"The others will see it, will no what you're doing." I spit back at him.
"Not if you're the only one who can see it." He says chuckling before taking the same silver object Ashley had not that long ago. I still didn't know what it was. "Now I'm going to paralyze you, but only for a second." He says swiftly moving the hand around my waist up, a finger tracing my spine along my back. Before I knew it I couldn't move a muscle. "I'm sorry, but this might sting a tad."
He moves my head to the side some to get a better angle and then it touches my skin.
I scream as the same burning, carving sensation comes this time on my face. It was unbearable. After a few seconds it was over.
He then smiles looking at his masterpiece that I couldn't see. "A kiss for the brave princess?" He says before crashing his lips unto mine, his hands back on my waist digging into my skin as if he couldn't get me close enough to him. I moan at the pain, tears in my eye.
"When you officially become mine, the mark will disappear like the one on your heart. Don't cry, my angel." He says seeing my tears. "That day is coming sooner than you think. But for now I must go. Goodbye, my love."
And with that I am alone once more in the forest.

"Come on Luce, Come on!" I hear someone shouting as my eyes flutter open.
They were wet and filled with tears, making the face inches above mine blurry.
"Thank goodness." He says breathing a sigh of relief. "You need to tell me what happened Luce." Ashley adds pulling me up and against him. "You were screaming, and then you started crying. I couldn't wake you though. No matter how hard I tried. Was it him again?"
I nod my head as I bury it into his chest, tears billowing out of my eyes.
"Sh, sh. It'll be alright." He keeps whispering into my ear, comforting me.
Once I calm down, I can't bring myself to tell him what happened. So instead I just tell him that it was him again. After a moment I start to get nauseas and I spring up running to the bathroom and locking the door behind me.
I puke my guts out into the toilet, starting to cry again as I do. Why was all this happening to me?
I ignored Ashley's yelling as I stopped vomiting and stand up to clean myself off. I gasp as I look at my face still stinging from the dream. There written above my left eyebrow were two words. My Princess
It was as plain as day, but clearly I was the only one who could see it. My eyes glance down to my neck and cover my mouth with my hand as I see a giant bruise on my neck. I then lift my shirt up as the throbbing around my waist became noticeable. Their were also bruises lining my waist at where he had grabbed me.
I couldn't take it anymore. I needed someone badly right now. I throw open the bathroom door and fling myself into Ashley's arms sobbing.
"Please, just hold me." I whisper as he picks me up and carries me back over to the bed and wraps me in his arms.


A/N: So what do you all think so far?? I love feedback!! Anyway I also want to thank you. I wasn't expecting this many people to read it. Over 1000 reads so far and over 30 hearts!!! You are all absolutely the best!! I don't know If I would be able to keep writing this without your support. So thank you so much!! And please enjoy!!

[romantic_story]

Chapter 14

My hands were still shaking when I got into the shower that next morning. And I still felt sick to my stomach, not wanting to do anything but lay in bed all day.
After I had ran to Ashley last night he had taken me back to bed with him, wrapping his arms in a protective and comforting way around me. I had fallen asleep like this and woken up to it too. He was awake when I woke up, but he hadn't have moved. When I asked him why, he replied that he hadn't wanted to wake me up with a small smile. I smiled shakily back and then gotten up to get in the shower. When I did my hair moved just right to where he saw the bruise on my neck. I had never seen his face get so angry before and I thought he was angry at me at first until he walked over to me and embraced me in his arms saying that he was going to kill whoever had done this to me. I winced slightly in pain as he hit the bruises on my waist, but he hadn't noticed. I was just glad he hadn't seen those bruises.
I turned off the water and then stepped out of the shower drying myself before putting on my clothes. I had no choice but to wear a scarf these next few days until my hickey would disappear. My eyes never glanced at a mirror as I did. I didn't want to see my face. Didn't want to be reminded of it all. Of him.
I took the courage to look at my reflection as I did my hair. My eyes ignoring the words on my face. Just seeing them made me want to fall apart again. Why was this all happening to me? But I knew I was stronger than that. I just had to put on a brave face and pretend like noting was bothering me.
"Are you ok?" Ashley asks as he sticks his head in the bathroom.
"Oh, yea." I say turning to look at him. "Why?"
"You were just taking a while in there. Just checking." He says smiling at me.
"Girls always take forever in the bathroom." I reply smiling softly as I walk over to where he's at.
"You hungry? We sort of missed breakfast, but I'm sure we can go get something." He asks.
I shake my head as I reply. "No, but you can go if you want. They might have a tray laying out for you."
"I really don't want to leave you by yourself." He says looking down at me with concern.
"I can go with you if you want."
"You're amazing." He says smiling as he kisses my forehead before taking my hand and leading me out the room.
I realized as he did how I gripped his hand with a new found intensity. No longer did I do it just because, but now I felt that at any moment he could slip away from me in a blink of the eye.
And in that moment I realized something. Not only did he need me, but now I needed him too. The thought of loosing him was too much.
So instead I turned away from the thought, and focused my attention onto him. Without heels on I felt ever shorter compared to him.
"You're staring at me again." He says smiling as he looks down at me.
"Sorry." I mutter looking down at my feet.
"Don't be, I like I like it when you do." He replies winking. "I know I'm good looking, so I know it's hard for people to not."
"You're-"
"Overly confident." He finishes chuckling.
"Maybe that's what I was going to say." I reply laughing softly.
"I wish you would do that more often." He says looking at me sadly.
"Do what?" I ask frowning slightly at his face.
"Laugh, smile. Be happy. It almost seems I've heard you scream more than I've seen you laugh."
"I wish I could too." I reply softly. "I wish I could go back to the way I used to be."
"You will." He says lifting my chin up to him.
"If only you knew." I say frowning, thinking about my face and the mark that shone upon it now.
"Do you mind?" He breathes, his lips millimeters away from my own.
I don't answer but close my eyes as he kisses me gently on the lips. It was a sweet long kiss and he moved his hands around my wais t gently pulling him to me.
I couldn't help, but tense not only at the movement, but at the small shivers of pain it sent up my body.
"What's wrong?" He asks breaking it off, looking at me concerned. "I didn't hurt you did I?" He asks.
"No. Of course not." I reply forcing a smile. "Let's just go get you something to eat, please." I add before starting to walk.
At this point I think he knew better than to question me for he followed me without question.
"Did you hear that we're getting married a week from today?" He asks after a second.
I shake my head. My head buzzing at this new information. At first I was excited and then a new thought hit me. There was no way the masked figure was going to let me marry him. That meant I had less than a week before he would strike.
"You're trying on your dress tomorrow, is what I heard. I helped them pick it out, I hope you don't mind."
"One week." I whisper to myself.
"I know, it's exciting isn't it." He replies smiling.
I look up at him in shock.
"No, he's going to try to kill you in less than a week. He won't let me marry you, so he'll take his move before then." I say as I stop walking and face him.
His face matches mine as he realizes what I'm saying.
"I didn't want to do this, but I realize I have no choice now." He says looking at me. "But we have to tell the others. Your parents, my parents and all the others. With my life being threatened, and you saying that. There's no choice. We should go now."
"But what about your breakfast?" I ask as he drags me behind him.
"It can wait."
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" My mother somewhat yells at me after Ashley explains the situation.
We were in the council room and there were only ten of us, Ashley and I, both of our parents, Titus, Cain, Kaleb, and Willow who I had luckily run into. I had quickly apologized and then dragged her with us as we went to find the others.
After we had gotten everyone, Ashley briefly explained the situation. Just saying that there was someone visiting me in my dreams that was obsessed with me. And was threatening to kill him.
"I didn't want to bother you." I say shrugging. "Ashley doesn't even know everything." I say shrugging as I stared at the cup of tea in my hands. As of now it was the only thing I could think of to slightly calm my nerves. Even then my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Afraid I might spill it, my mother took the cup out of my hand and set it on the table in front of me.
"Then Lucy, will you please tell everyone everything?" She asks looking at me with her warm brown eyes.
They were so comforting as they looked at me with concern, that it would be hard to say no. So I slowly nodded my head.
"It started two nights ago, everything was dark and I couldn't see a thing. Not even my own hand in front of me. He came and said that he loved me and that he was going to kill Ashley so we could be together. I didn't think much of it at all. I knew he was going to come back at some point, but I didn't think it was going to be like he did. Last night, I saw him. I knew the face and I knew the voice, but my brain couldn't connect it with someone. It could have been any of you in here and I wouldn't have know it. His hair was black and he wore a masquerade mask on his face covering it partially up. Everything about him was colorless except for its of his mask and his eyes." I shiver thinking about his eyes. "They were both blood red. He also had black wings. He took my voice away. I couldn't talk, no sound would come out no matter what I tried. Nothing. The things he told me, I knew he was watching me. He's probably watching me now. Who knows what he might do to me for telling you. He says that I'm going to be his. That once he wants something, he got it. Never before had he wanted something so badly as me. Then he paralyzed my whole body. I couldn't move. And then he marked me. You can't see it, he made sure of that, but I can. Every time I look in the mirror I can. He marked "My Princess" on my face. Right here." I say starting to cry as I finished pointing to the spot above my left eye.
"Is there anyway, we can prevent someone from entering her dreams?" Ashley asks as he pulls me towards him.
"I'm afraid there isn't." His mother says frowning. "Such a poor girl."
"He's not an Ungarian, that's for sure." His father says. "No Ungarian has the power to take away the voice or to paralyze. The power that she describes he has, no one can do that. But there are myths of those who have the power you've spoken from. But I thought they were just myths." He says trailing off in thought.
"What are they?" I ask looking up at him.
"Decidentia." He says looking at me. "Or more commonly known as The Fallen."