***A/N- this is just a short, little one chapter fic I thought of. Please review if you liked it, flame review if you didn't. I want constructive criticism! I know not all my information is accurate; please tell me if you find a mistake.

~This is My Life~

Background: In Shawnee Indian culture, a marriage proposal was all the say of the parents. The parents of the groom would pick a bride they thought suitable for their son, and send them a gift of skins and food. If the family accepted the gifts, the bride's family would split the good up with their relatives. The female relatives would cook vegetables to take to the groom's family. The food, the bride, and her parents would go to the groom's wigawa, where a party with his friends would take place. After this, they were considered a married couple.

~*Black Night's POV*~

I'd never liked Morning Sun. He was arrogant, and self-centered. He liked to show off, and always won any competition he entered. I never expected what happened to me. I had fifteen winters at the time. It was the sixteenth day of the moon. Morning Sun's mother came to our wigawa with gifts, marriage gifts. She said nothing, just gave the basket to my father and left. My father and mother talked quietly amongst them selves for a while. I didn't think they'd make me marry that arrogant jerk. They said nothing to me for the rest of the day. When I woke up the next morning, my mother told me to put on my best skirt, we were going to visit our relatives.

"Mother, please tell me that it is just a casual meeting, nothing involving the marriage basket Morning Sun's mother brought yesterday."

"You will marry him, Black Night. You two are a smart match. His father was a good warrior, and he will be, too."

"But mother, I do not love him! Yet alone like him!"

"Daughter, I love you with all my heart, but I am forcing you to do this. Now, put on your nicest skirt and blouse. You will be marrying today."

I reluctantly put on my clothes and helped my mother carry the food basket to my mother's sister, Falling Dancer's wigawa. Falling Dancer opened the flap and embraced me in a hug.

"I am so happy for you, Black Night. Morning Sun is a fine man, and will make a good husband for you."

I knew my mother was watching, and did not want to upset her. "Yes, Falling Dancer, a smart match."

"But you are not happy, Black Night. Why are you not happy?"

"Because I do not like Morning Sun! I do not see why you are making me marry him."

"Black Night, I know it is not obvious to you, but everyone else knows it. He is in love with you. He must have had some say in his parent's choice for a bride, because they were leaning towards marrying him to Yellow Flower. Be happy you are marrying him, and not her."

Falling Dancer's words rang in my ears the rest of the day. ~He loves you.~ That selfish arrogant brat loves me? But how could that be? The way he acted around me was disgraceful. Always showing off his strength, and acting like a big hero when he won, which was all the time. I would always walk away from the games when he won. I did not want to see him boast about it.

~He loves you.~ It was not possible. Did he act the way he did because that was how he wanted me to see him, how he thought he could get my attention? That was not a very good strategy.

I helped my mother and Falling Dancer prepare the vegetables we would be bringing to Morning Sun's wigawa that night. Squash, corn, pumpkins, along with cornmeal, it would be a good feast, for those with an appetite. I would have no appetite, thinking about how I would be spending my life with a man I did not particularly care for. But he loved me. How could he love me?

My mother asked me to go to our wigawa to ask my father to go to Morning Sun's wigawa and tell his family that we were planning to when the sun was disappear. We would feast for a time, before Morning Sun and I would be left in a new wigawa of our own to start our life together. I walked the longer route to our wigawa. I wanted to walk past Morning Sun's wigawa. There was a new wigawa next to it. I thought that in half of a day, I would be living there. My father would move my possessions there after I spoke with him, if he had not already done so.

When I got to our wigawa, my father had my belonging packed in baskets, ready to take to my new home. Morning Sun was there, too. Helping to move my possessions. He said nothing, just looked at me.

"Father, I was sent here to tell you that we will be finished right before the sun sets. Would you please inform Morning Sun's parents?"

"Why don't you go, Morning Sun? When you come back, we can move my daughters things."

Morning Sun nodded and left the wigawa. My father came over to me and placed one hand on my shoulder.

"Daughter, I know you do not love Morning Sun, but he cares for you deeply, and will take care of you. Please, give him a chance before you decide weather to love him or hate him. Pleas, just promise me this."

"I promise, father," I replied. My response was empty, I did not promise, but I must keep my word to father, women did not lie to men.

He kissed my forehead and I headed back to Falling Dancer's wigawa. I had walked only twenty paces, when I met with Morning Sun. He stood tall, half a hand taller then me. If I were any other woman, I would be excited to be marrying him. He was strong, with a fair face. I knew most women in the village fancied him, but I did not. I was not 'any other women,' I was me. And I did not care for Morning Sun.

"I am sorry." His words surprised me.

"For what?"

"I know you do not care for me, and you probably think this day torture, but please, do not hate me. I do care for you, as your father said. I want you to be happy, and if that took me marrying Yellow Flower, I would do it. But it is too late now. I cannot change what has already happened. I am sorry for your misery."

I did not know what to say to that, so I said the only thing I could think of. "I am sorry too."

"You are sorry? What are you sorry for?"

"I know you heart must me sad, because I do not love you, and I am sorry for that. Please, forgive me, but no one can change my heart for me, if my heart is going to change, I must change it myself."

"Very well then," Morning Sun stood tall and acted like he was meeting with a chief. "Black Night, I will not try to change your heart, but I hope it changes. I will see you at the celebration tonight. Un till then, I bid you goodbye." He walked to my old wigawa to help my father carry my belongings, and I started for Falling Dancer's wigawa. While walking, I was thinking about Morning Sun. He was a good man, a respectable man. I should be proud to be marrying him, yet I was not. I was not happy. Or was I? Was there a small part of me that was glad to be marrying Morning Sun? Maybe a very small part?

When I returned to the wigawa, my mother took me down to the river. "You must be cleaned. No man wants a dirty bride." She helped me clean all the dirt of my body. I lay on the beach of the river drying. While lying there, waiting, my mother was talking to me. Most of it about the responsibilities of being a wife. Taking care of you children, cooking and such. And she also talked about Morning Sun. She was trying to change my heart too. She could not do that. No one could.

When I was dry, my mother gave me her marriage skirts. The ones she had worn the day she was married. She said that her mother, her mother's mother, and her mother's mother's mother, and so forth had also worn the same skirts. She had washed the old smell out of them last night, and they were ready for me to wear. I put them on, and we headed back to Falling Dancer's wigawa.

Mother and Falling Dancer started fussing with my hair. Pulling it back into a perfect braid. Once it was, we gathered the baskets and headed for my new home. When we arrived, there were a few other men there, Morning Sun's friends. His parents, along with my father were there also. I gave my father a hug and went to sit on a chair by the wigawa. One of Morning Sun's friends, Bear Heart, placed another chair next to me. Bear Heart ushered Morning Sun over, and seated him next to me. We were to remain here until the feast was over. We were brought plates of food, and watched Morning Sun's friends dance.

The feast ended all to soon for my liking. All the food was gone, and everyone was tired, and ready for a good night's sleep. My parents came over to me and wished me a good marriage. Morning Sun's parents went into their wigawa and everyone left. We were allowed to get up. Morning Sun stood up quickly and helped me to my feet. He kept my hand and led me into our wigawa, our new home. We stood in the middle of our wigawa for a moment, not speaking and not moving.

Morning Sun finally broke the silence, "Why do you dislike me so much, Black Night? What have a ever done to offend you so?"

"You have done nothing, it is just the way you act. You show off your strength, and brag about how you won this or that."

"I am sorry. I was trying to get you to notice me. I guess it worked, but not the say I meant it too. Please forgive me."

I laughed. "That is the second time today you have apologized for something that is not your fault. Why do you care for me so much?"

"You are different from the other girls. They are all mindless puppies, following what ever everyone else is doing, and doing what ever they are told to."

"Are you saying I do not do what I am told to?"

"No, I am saying that you have an attitude towards everything. For example, your attitude towards me. No one else in the village had attitudes like you."

Morning Sun's words made me feel special. Would anyone else be able to make me feel like this? I did not know. "Morning Sun, do you love me?"

"More than anything else in the world. That is why I asked my parents to send your family the pelts, and not Yellow Flower's family. She is a mindless puppy. I laughed.

There was a slight rustle outside the wigawa. Morning Sun froze and placed a finger to his lips to signal for me to be quiet. He crept towards the opening without making a sound. Suddenly, he jumped out of the opening and landed with a thud on the ground. He had landed on something. I knew because I had heard a grunt. Morning Sun got up and starting yelling. It was Bear Heart, spying on us. I could not help but giggle. When Morning Sun came back in, his face was red. I could not help but laugh more.

"I am sorry for my friends childish pranks. You should forgive him."

I waved it away with my hand. "It is alright, Morning Sun."

He smiled and walked closer to me. "I do not expect you to love me, but do you hate me?"

"No, I could not hate someone who was scared for my life, even though it turned out to be only his best friend. I guess you could say I even like you."

He smiled and I smiled back. He leaned down to kiss me, and I did not resist him. I was ready to start my life. I was in charge of my life, and this was something I chose. 'This is my life,' I thought. 'And no one else can change it.'

* * *

"But I do not want to marry Gray Skies!" Rose Petal pleaded with me. "Mother, you can not make me marry him! I do not like him!"

"Rose Petal, I know how you feel."

"How can you understand? Look at you and father. You love each other so much."

"It was not always this way. I did not love your father when we first married. In fact, I thought him an arrogant, self-centered, show off."

"Is this the truth? Or are you making up a story to get me to marry Gray Skies?"

"I tell you no lies, Rose Petal. I think it is time for you to hear the story of my life. Come close, and listen, it is no short tale."

***A/N- and there you go. How'd you like it? Did you like it or hate it? Please review and tell me! I need feedback! Gotta run. Later Dayz!

-smilychildpjz