More Of Knight (COMPLETED)

0.1 | Amara Mary Highmore

01|Amara Mary Highmore|

She washed the last set of dishes in the sink and threw the rubber gloves on the rack before drying her slightly rough hands on the kitchen towel, dinner was over hours ago but she was stuck with the kitchen work and cleaning up like she always did. Amara never complained, she never raised her voice. She became the bigger person and did everything her aunt told her to do.

Right after her parent's death Amara's Uncle Cooper, along with his wife Diana and daughter Ester had moved into the large mansion. Amara was thrilled at the company she got as the big house got lonely now that her parents were not there. For the first few days there were a lot of visitors that came to show their grief, all of them left astonished at the happy and playing Amara that didn't show any sign of missing her parents.

Amara was however, content with the two stars she had. She would talk to them and they would twinkle back at her as if replying to the little words she spoke. But the adults mistook her innocence as a mental dysfunction, her guardians didn't try to correct them, everything went downhill when the hard earned business of George Highmore was handed over to Cooper Highmore until she was stable and of age.

The next day, Amara was shifted from her room to a smaller one while Ester was given her luxurious princess style room that her father had personally designed, her toys were given to her cousin along with lot of new ones while all she got was her trusted friend Goofy, the stuffed dog. Gradually everything was taken away from her, one by one her fortune was given to Ester and her parents place was taken by her uncle and aunt. Now fifteen years later, Ester lived the life a princess that once belong to Amara and she was reduced to the level of a house maid.

But she never complained, she never raised her voice. She was content living in the house in which she held memories with her parents and eat a good meal three times a day. Regarded that she worked hard to earn all of it, but she was fine.

Once the kitchen and dining room were shiny clean she removed her blue polka dots apron and hung it on the hook on the kitchen wall before switching off the lights and going back to her room, she went up the stairs as silently as her feet could take her as everyone was asleep.

Her room was a decent size for a human being to stay in and just good enough for her. The walls were a boring shade of cream with small nips of paint pealing off from the corners, old furniture that consisted of a rusty study table and a hard chair, a twin size bed along with thin mattress and duvet and a wooden closet that stored just enough clothes. That's all she had and that's all she needed, she thought to herself.

"What's going on up there momma? All good? And what about you papa?" She talked mindlessly as she gazed high up in the night sky, the stars twinkled in response to her question, she smiled at her parents up in heaven.

She wanted to show them how strong she was, how she can overcome everything and still smile like her old self, she may cry in loneliness and hut but she never let her parents see it, all they ever saw was her smiling face and bright blue eyes that somehow still held the same spark they had fifteen years ago.

The old clock on her wall dinged loudly making her aware that it was midnight,

Her birthday.

"Thank you for your wishes momma, papa. I may not be able to hear it or see it, but I know you are praying for me up there. I'll try to be better this year and live better than last year." She whispered, her cheeks pulled back into a sweet smile, and blew a kiss into the rustling wind. She had completed her ritual on her birthday and got her parents blessings. Finally content with herself she let herself rest for a few hours.

Amara woke up earlier than the rest of the house mates in the morning to prepare breakfast for her family, she was multi tasking as she prepared the muffin batter for Ester's breakfast with one hand and scrambled the eggs for her uncle with the other. There was a different menu for everyday which was decided by her family and she received at dinner a night prior, she obediently did as was told to her.

Other house maids took pity on poor Amara Highmore as they saw her being treated like a princess by her parents when she was little and now worse than a maid by the hands of her blood relatives, in their eyes she was having it worse than them, she was given more work and nothing in return. But they could not do anything about it, they held as much power as she did, none.

"Today is an important day, make sure the banquet is decorated exactly how I had instructed. Not even a speck of dust should be seen anywhere." Her aunt ordered the company secretary who wrote everything down on his iPad at the speed of lighting, Amara had seen him during meals a lot and admired his good looks in secret. He had a cute face and light honey eyes that was surrounded by thick lashes and brows, his angular face gave him a more mature look even though he was the same age as her and Ester. She only snuck glances from afar as it was nothing more than teenage infatuation.

They were at the dining table in the midst of having breakfast but her corporate guardians were more interested in talking business than actually eating the food she made with so much effort.

Her uncle sat straight in his chair looking like a true businessman with his robot like precise movements and minimal facial expressions. Ester was being the model daughter as always, clad in a classy white off shoulder dress that complemented her slightly tan skin. She was the perfect daughter that appeared on the weekly magazine cover page every other day for a new scandal. She was a fashion designer, well known in the fashion industry not only because of her talent in all things dresses but also because she was the heiress of Highmore industries.

Amara took her time enjoying the meal, she was never included in the family or business conversations so she was free to eat and drink without talking. The three meals of the day were the only times when she would be safe, mentally as well as physically as the three other members of her family didn't bother with her wile enjoying the meal.

After breakfast her Aunt and Uncle called her to their office right away, on her way up to the office Amara took some time to think about the possible reasons for which she was being called, but gave up when she came up with none. She knew she was not in trouble as she had done every chore on time and as asked.

She knocked on the heavy, carved wooden door three times only entering when a response was heard. Her faded blue dress fabric was clutched tightly in her left fist as she stood in front of her family members, waiting for them to say something. She didn't dare look up in fear of what was to come.

"When your parents died -" she flinched at the coldness in her aunt's voice, who would believe she was close to her mother like a sister at some point? She wanted to voice out her opinion but kept silent as she continued to speak, "- We were the ones that took you in, we protected you from the harsh world and guided you in life. Aren't you grateful?" She nodded her bowed head in agreement of her aunt's false claim. She was never guided or protected, she was taunted and abused every hour of the day until she transformed into the doll she was now, a doll that worked and talked and slept according to their wishes.

"Yes Aunt. I'm very grateful."

"Then you should do something to repay us, don't you think?" This time it was her uncle who spoke, the man who she remembered as a warm person in her childhood was now a cold stranger.

"Yes uncle."

"Well, we have a perfect opportunity for you to thank us and show your gratitude!" Amara felt her eyes stung from the familiar fullness of tears, she blinked rapidly to get rid of them before they saw. "You see, the Regal group is coming to Springfield next week for a business tour, but that's not all. The eldest of the three knight son's, Maximus Knight will be coming to our home."

The excitement in her aunt's voice didn't make sense to her, wasn't she too old to be thinking that way? Amara shuddered and dismissed that though immediately. What so special about him coming here anyway? Was he someone of importance? Amara wouldn't know, most of her life was wasted away in the kitchen and laundry room so she wasn't to be blamed for her lack of knowledge. She was only given basic education that was necessary, unlike her cousin, Amara was not encouraged to pursue a career of her liking, after graduation she was kept full time at him with minimal outdoor activities like grocery shopping and other necessities.

"I don't understand Aunt." She asked timidly and waited anxiously for either of them to respond.

"He is coming here to sigh a business contract with our company. We had a negotiation with them a month ago where he agreed to collaborate with us for mutual profit." Once again Amara was left confused, why would that concern her? For the past years it never did affect her and they didn't find it necessary to include her so why were they telling her all this? Ester knew a lot about business, not Amara.

"He asked for Ester's hand in marriage in exchange for this business deal, but our daughter, unfortunately doesn't want to be tied up in the bond of marriage right now. She wants to live her life freely before she being tied down in such sort of relationship." Amara was shocked to say the least, her heart broke into pieces as she mentally predicted their next words, was she going to be a scrape goat for them to sacrifice? Wasn't their everyday torment on her enough? She finally looked up at the two figures sitting on chairs next to each other, her blue tears filled eyes pleaded silently but as always her cries fell on deaf ears. "We have no choice Amara, this business deal will help our company raise about the limit your father set. Wouldn't you want your parents to feel proud of you? The company was your father's dream and with one little compromise you can help in taking it to heights."

Soundless cries escaped her accompanied with salty tears. Would her parents want this? No, they would never sacrifice her for anything. They loved her a lot. But her aunt was right, the company was her father's dream. Highmore industries had been like his second child that he loved as much as he loved Amara.

"And besides, you don't have a choice in this. We are not asking you but merely informing you of it. You are to be married to Maximus Knight exactly a month from today and not a single complain from you. Understood?" Her uncle said without a hint of emotion, he looked her in the eye daring her to say something opposing or remotely rebelling.

"Y- Yes Uncle." With those last words stuttered Amara swallowed her tears and with a heavy heart nodded in agreement, like she always did. Maybe this way she could make her parents up in heaven proud. She was not sure why anyone would even accept her as their bride, let alone Maximus Knight, the way her aunt and uncle were rejoicing at his arrival, he was a very important person. Amara was terrified.

With uneven steps she stumbled into her room. For the first time in years she opened the box that held her parent's possessions. The old family album that held precious memories of them together, her momma's diary that expressed the love she held for her daughter, her papa's gold watch that he loved to wear, she remembered that he had promised to keep that watch to give it to the man she would love and get married to in the future, she wasn't sure about that now. And last, a pink diary where she wrote her heart out to no one.

She had stopped writing a long time ago, the main reason being that her days were very uneventful. The same routine would follow everyday and she was sick of writing it down each and every time. But today she wasn't going to hold back and pour her heart out to her dear diary, the only thing that listened to her cries for mercy and pleas but never told a single soul. Her most trusted friend.

She wrote her desire to fall in love someday and be married to the live of her life, to be cherished and caressed by the man of her dreams. Someone that would one day take her away from this place and build their own little world, a wishful thinking. She was holding a spark of hope that didn't belong to her. She wished for a happy family, happiness was all she wanted. But her relatives even took her right to fall in love from her. She wished her parents were here, it would be so different. So much better.

But she did not blame them, they didn't leave her purposely so it was not their fault. Fate had a twisted way of playing with people, their current interest was held by Amara, she only wished they would go easy on her.

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"Amara! Where is my hairbrush!?" Ester yelled from her room, Amara left the soup to simmer on the stove and rushed upstairs to attend her cousin. Sometimes Amara wondered how her cousin was still able to speak with all the yelling she does in the day, it was truly admirable if not hilarious.

Ester Highmore was living the life of a modern day princess, everything she wanted, whenever she wanted, it was all at her beck and call. But even with everything she had Amara never envied her, she was happy with what she had, she was already satisfied with her life and wanted nothing more. If she died right here and now, she wouldn't regret anything.

She anxiously knocked three times on her door and entered only to see the room in a mess. Pillows pulled apart and scattered everywhere, bedsheet ripped off the bes and the expensive showpieces broken into pieces on the floor. The once plush pink room was now the example of a disaster, the mirror in the corner was cracked and the expensive products on the vanity were destroyed like unimportant things. A very angry Ester stood in the middle of it all seething. Amara may not be jealous of the luxury her cousin enjoyed but she was however, envious of the way she looked. Amara was pretty with a nice body but Ester was better. She was slimmer, prettier and much more desirable than poor old Amara. But she never voiced it, not that anything could change.

"What took you so long?! Can't you do one job that's given to you?! You ungrateful b***h! We have done so much for you and asked nothing in return! But you always took us for granted!" She shouted once she came closer in an arm length. A loud slap was heard all the way to the other side of the hall. Amara held her stinging cheek in her palm, wincing in pain, she willed her tears to go back and as if sensing her agony her eyes controlled them before falling. The metallic taste of blood flooded her mouth leaving a bitter aftertaste.

"I'm sorry, I was preparing for lunch." She murmured, careful of her busted lips and hurt cheeks, moving the particular cheek muscle hurt like hell. Ester didn't respond, instead she pushed Amara harshly out of her room and shut the door in her face in an insulting way, Amara was used to this kind of treatment so she didn't mind much of it. However the feeling of her chest filling with emotions couldn't be avoided. With the feeling of humiliation heavy on her, she went back into the kitchen to check on the soup she had left to cook. Her cheeks started to throb painfully and felt like it had swelled already, she reminded herself to apply something to soothe it before sleeping.

Lunch flew by and so did dinner, by the time Amara went to bed her cheek were double of the size it was before. The area had turned an into ugly splash of purple right across her fair skin, breaking through the tender skin of her lips. Many scars littered her body, some old while some new, various sized and shapes. The bruise on her cheek didn't effect her much, her physical pain was negative compared to the mental and emotional pain she was feeling. For years she had been enduring and never giving up.

"Why do I have to be like this momma? I try to find good in everything like Miss Sara had said but I can't find anything good right now. I need reassurance, why can't you be here? I miss you." She cried for her parents looking at the twinkling stars, looking for any response but found none. They had also abandoned her when she needed them the most? Her night was spend cold and sleeplessly.

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"Amara! Amara wake up!" Her aunt's loud voice from the other side of the door woke her up in an instant, all traces of sleep left her eyes as soon as she saw the time. It was half past ten, past breakfast! She had, for the first time in years, slept in.

She grabbed a shawl to wrap around her night suit clad body and opened the door, ready to face the consequences. Her aunt stood there in all her glory, a beautiful blue chiffon dress adoring her curvy figure and make up layered on her face to make her look younger which she somehow managed to pull off, her eyes were darker than night that held nothing but hate for Amara. Amara stood there in silence waiting for the punishment to be inflicted, but it never came.

"It's good that you slept in, those bags make you look sick. We have to go shopping for you today. Get ready and be downstairs in ten minutes." She ordered leaving Amara in a state of shock. Her blue eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at her aunt's retreating figure. Her heart felt lighter at the lack of punishment, then she remembered that her fiancé was coming in less than a week's time to sign her life away. The lightness left her and it was replaced with the familiar heaviness, all of this was an act, an act to lure the prey in. She was the bait.