"Our daughter is to be married to Lord Chanter's son, Julian"
Valerie had only just turned seventeen when the announcement was made by her parents, in which everyone at the grand dinner raised their goblets and toasted to.
She, however, had tried her best to appear excited, instead of dropping her mouth open in shock.
Although she was only of a tender age, she knew that this was bound to happen sooner or later.
The Tierson family was of high social status and she also had an impressive dowry. Valerie just didn't imagine it would happen on her birthday and in front of the boy she was to wed.
Glancing at Julian Chanter, she swallowed and took a deep breath. He wasn't unattractive, far from it, with his sandy blonde hair and his sparkling blue eyes.
In fact, he was Sarsbury's resident charmer of ladies, smart, rich and incredibly handsome.
He was eighteen years old and the boy every girl in this town wanted to be married to, every girl except Valerie that is.
A knot formed in her stomach as she continued to watch Julian discreetly. As well as all of those good qualities, Julian Chanter was known for being quite the notorious playboy. Charming ladies, and bedding them, then discarding them as if they meant nothing at all.
She didn't want an arranged marriage, didn't want to become a mother and spend the rest of her days cooking, cleaning, being agreeable to her husband and taking care of their children.
Furthermore, she didn't even know Julian Chanter, although they had practically grown up together. They had never really associated with each other before.
True, Julian had made attempts, several attempts to talk to her, but she always seemed to be too busy for boys and having relationships.
Valerie never really associated with anyone really, except the children she cared for occasionally and the books she always had her nose stuck in.
She loved reading novels and whenever someone looked for her, they would almost certainly find her at the bookstore with her head buried in a book about fantastical adventures and such.
As the guests started departing for home, she quietly slipped into the corridor and rested her head against the wall, closing her tired eyes.
"So after all these years, you still dislike me?"
Valerie raised her head in surprise to see Julian standing there, leaning casually on the wall beside her.
"No, Mr. Chanter I never disliked you" she explained, facing him and standing upright.
Julian's beautiful but piercing eyes searched hers. "Please, call me Julian. Then why would you never let me court you?"
She cast her eyes downward, thinking of a plausible excuse "I'm not good at handling relationships. I hardly have any friends, let alone a…" she trailed off nervously, twisting her fingers around.
His fingers cupped her face and titled her head up. "You're beautiful" he murmured as if he was in a dream.
Valerie smiled gently with her mouth and her eyes. "I assure you Julian that I am quite plain"
He came closer to her, making her shiver involuntarily. "You're not. You're more beautiful than any girl in this town and for miles around" she was suddenly very conscious of how close he had gotten to her.
"And you're mine" he whispered in her ear and with a final seductive smile, he was gone.
Valerie awoke the following day feeling energetic and high-spirited. Then the events of last night came flooding back and she groaned in discontentment.
She decided to drown her troubles by going to town and visiting the bookstore, where the owner was the closest friend she had.
Mr. Linton was a frail old man who was a widower, losing both his wife and daughter when a fire spread to their house. He was quiet and kind and was always offering her books for no charge.
Which she refused, her family was rich enough, maybe too rich, if that was possible. She didn't need the luxuries that she had, instead she wanted to sell it and give the money to the poverty-stricken people of the town.
Putting on her cloak, she hurried out of the house, avoiding her parents who greatly disapproved of her daily visits to town.
Desperately needing the comfort of the stories about unrealistic worlds and carelessness, she took the short route to town, past the twisting branches and withered trees and shrubs.
Valerie heard sounds of the forest, the chirping of birds, the nestling of small creatures and the tinkling of water from a nearby spring. She allowed herself a smile, until she heard the sounds of a whip.
Slowing her pace, she walked towards the town's prison, flinching as the whipping became louder and louder, but surprisingly, there were no agonizing screams or other signs of pain.
Curiosity ate away at her; she was one of those people who had to stop herself from turning to the last page of a novel before she had even begun it.
Silently, she crept towards the stone building. The place was disdainful and even from here anyone could tell it was a place of misery and suffering.
Soon, her back was pressed against the slabs of stone and she peered inside.
Valerie could see nothing at first; the place was dark and looming. Her eyes adjusted after a while and she followed the noises until she came to the place where the prisoners were kept.
A single lamp illuminated the cells, only shedding light on things that were close to it.
She covered her face with her hand as the rotting smells of bodies hit her. It was vile and disgusting and she immediately wished she was outside, breathing in fresh air.
Then she spotted it. The guard with a mask over his face, laughing cruelly as he brought the whip down. Again and again.
"This will teach you to disrespect me you good for nothing piece of scum!"
Valerie flinched and her felt her hands tremble at the violence. She sneaked closer to see who it was that was being tortured. Nobody deserved to suffer like that.
Her mouth dropped open as she stared at the boy. He had his face against the rusty iron bars and his hands gripped and shook the metal.
Although his face was covered in dirt, grime and blood, he could not have been much older than her. There was blood in his dirty tousled brown hair and suddenly, as if he had sensed her watching him, he looked up and his eyes met hers.
They were an astounding color of green, eyes that seemed to know of the cruelty of this world, eyes which could look into people's inner souls. There was no pain in those eyes though, no sign of pleading or hurt. But his eyes had a determined glint to them.
Valerie was mesmerized and she fought to look away but failed.
"What are you doing here Missy?"
She screamed and turned around, seeing a guard with yellow eyes and teeth, his balding hair, matted with grime.
Forgetting everything of politeness and etiquette, she ran out of the horrible place and glanced back only once as she ran, to find green eyes trailing after her.