Chapter One

As bells sounded through the filled church, Elizabeth walked down the aisle her arm hooked in her father's. She should have been smiling. She should have been ecstatic. She could stay there all day counting the things she should have done, but alas it was not to be. She looked ahead her grey eyes cold. Other than the less than enthusiastic expression on her face Elizabeth looked so very beautiful, depressed yes, but very beautiful. Her copper curls were styled in a very intricate bun, constrasting beautifully against the pure white of her dress, the dress he chose. It was a simple yet gorgeous dress with lots of lace and pearls adorning it. It just was not the dress for Lizzie. It did not suit her or complement her in any way which a wedding dress should, but after all, nothing was happening as it should for her wedding.

At the end of the aisle, he stood. His greasy black hair combed in what he presumed to be a handsome style. Even from this far, she could smell his musky cologne. It was a hideous odor which only caused Elizabeth to abhor the man more, well more than she usually did. Even all this could have been bearable had he not been the most odious man on the entire planet. He believed in nothing, had no imagination whatsoever, and read only the bible and the news. Elizabeth was by no means unreligious, but she was so different than he. She believed that anything was possible. Each story, and fable which she picked up from the local store, held another tale of handsome Princes, ferocious beasts, and magical lands. Her wild imagination was in paradise. Lizzie's entire being was untamable. She did not want that life anyways. Staying at home and cooking food while looking after children. No! Lizzie wanted much more through life. She wanted adventure, thrills. She wanted to know what it felt like to fight a dragon. What it felt like to live life dangerously, but most of all, she wanted someone who could give her that kind of life. She didn't want the ingratiating Richard Webb.

She did not want to think of how she got here. It was such a depressing story, but I'll tell you anyways. When Elizabeth was born, at first everything was fantastic. Her mum and dad fussed over her, but soon, when Lizzie was only two months old, her mum caught something. No one is still sure exactly what the ailment was but it left her in bed for four years until she died. Her mum's death wounded not only her heart but her father's as well. He loved his wife a great deal and was not prepared to have her leave him so soon. After that tragic occurrence, the family fell into a great deal of debt. Mr. Ross gambled a great deal and lost all of his money. This forced a young Elizabeth out onto the streets in an attempt to earn money. She worked as a maid, who went to others' houses and cleaned them up before returning home to clean up her own house and then make dinner for herself and her father who usually came home incredibly drunk with his pockets in negatives. Lizzie sometimes had to save up money for weeks before being able to buy a book which she wanted to read.

They survived like that for years. Now Lizzie was one and twenty and her father was severely ill. Not that he told her this miniscule fact. He had come to her merely days before exclaiming that a man, with a fair salary, wished her to be his wife. Lizzie asked him what this man did, how he was, and what he looked like. Her father lied smoothly to her, although he did tell her the man's real name. Lizzie armed with only his name went about town gathering as much information on him as she could from the town gossips. She flitted about with warm smiles and gingerbread cookies to persuade her neighbors into slipping secrets. Once her dissection of his character was complete, Lizzie deemed Richard Webb to be a man she would never desire to marry. Unfortunately for her, her father had other plans. He forced her into a wedding dress this morning under guise and got her down to the church.

Now standing by his side, Lizzie did not dare glance at the man she used to call father in a sweet voice. It had been years since she had truly spoken to him, but that didn't mean she hadn't tried. Oh how she had tried, so very hard unfortunately all in vain. He never responded to her kindnesses or the caring tone in which she had spoken in, before long she began to snap at him more often, angered by his non committal ways. He was in and out of work and never did anything to assist his young girl. This was why she was being forced to marry such a wretched man, for who would marry a woman without any dowry?

At last, Lizzie's father handed her over to Mr. Webb with a smirk plastered across his twisted face. Elizabeth tried to ignore the cold feeling that rushed over her skin from the side where Mr. Webb stood. She tried to get over how horrid it felt to have his hand on her arm. She tried to do all this just as she tried to communicate with her father, in vain.

Elizabeth zoned out the priest's voice as in her head scenes of her life to be flashed through each more haunting than the one before it. It was not long before the priest turned to Mr. Webb and spoke.

"Do you Richard Webb, take Elizabeth Ross, as your wife? Do you promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and honor her all the days of your life?" the priest looked at Mr. Webb who instantaneously responded the affirmative.

"And do you, Elizabeth Ross, take Richard Webb as your husband?" He looked directly at Elizabeth his blue eyes piercing through her grey ones, searching through her soul. Lizzie opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She turned around to catch the eye of her father who glared angrily at her. He mouthed, 'say it.' Lizzie turned back to the priest her eyes pleading.

"Well, Miss Ross?" he responded looking at her from above his glasses. She gulped before looking directly at the priest.

"No sir I do not!" she exclaimed hastily as if she would change her mind. As soon as the words were uttered a dead silence filled the hall. Lizzie lifted her skirts and made her way down the side of the church room to evade her very angry father. She ran fast and made it out the door slamming it shut behind her. Quickly she slid into the carriage which had been awaiting her and Mr. Webb.

"Excuse me but could you make haste to Plummard Cottage?" She asked the driver, who immediately set off.

"Madam, where is Master Webb? Were you two not married?"

"No we were not, and if I can help it we never will be." She turned to look over her shoulder and caught sight of her very angry father attempting to catch a carriage.

"Do make haste!" she told the driver.

It was not long before her father was out of sight but she knew he would follow her back home. Once she arrived at Plummard Cottage, the driver helped her out of the carriage and she told him to stay there, and await her return. Elizabeth then proceeded to make her way to her room where she had already stashed a fully packed bag with extra clothing, a bit of food and some weaponry, along with a book she had recently bought. Luckily her bag didn't weigh all too much. She hoisted it onto her shoulder and scurried out the door to the carriage yet again. She then told the driver to take her to the middle of town but the long way. The long way used many winding streets and odd paths, so it insured that her father would not find her. Once in the middle of town she told the driver to go back to Plummard Cottage and not tell her father anything unless asked. Once he left, she quickly went into a bathroom in some neighbors home and changed out of the wedding dress into a much simpler gown. Over the gown she put on a hooded cloak which would disguise her identity, and then thanking her neighbors for their hospitality she left.

She walked about for quite some time until she reached a forest. Smiling with excitement, Lizzie began to walk through the dense trees and slid her hood down. She was finally free. Free from her father's tight grasp, free from all the work she did but most of all free from marrying that hideous man.

A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for reading! Gosh! What a chapter huh? Lots of action already! I apologize if my writing style does not reflect the time period well, do remember that I am a twenty first century child. So what did you guys think? Is it good? Are you guys going to keep an eye on this? Oh and don't forget to comment/review, and favorite.