0.2| Dolled up for the D-day
She felt like exactly what she had become, a goat being readied for s*******r. A bait to capture the bigger fish in the sea, a bait that will be lost once the goal is achieved. Amara felt sorry for herself as her aunt threw dresses at her to try, each prettier than the previous. All she could see was a blur of sparkles, silk and all other things that her cousin wore on a daily basis.
Amara didn't like it, after spending years in her company she had swore to never be like Ester. But here her aunt was trying to doll her up to transform her into Ester 2.0 to woo their potential business partner. They had been using her all their life, why would they stop now?
It was torture following her aunt to each and every store in the mall, trying on shoes, dresses and selecting bags of class. She didn't have time to have breakfast before leaving home as her aunt was waiting for her at the front door and she was too scared to ask her aunt to stop by some food store and eat something.
Her aunt already looked irritated at her and she was not going to take the risk. Amara felt so out of space in the plush shopping mall it was almost crazy, was it self consciousness that seeped into her as soon as she entered? Or was it the realisation that she never belonged here and nor will she ever, places like this was for people with money and will to spend, she had neither.
After agonisingly long hours of running around the big building and buying half of it, they finally reached home. Her aunt had said it was her fault for not paying attention to herself, because of which now they had to go through so much trouble. Amara didn't she her logic in it as she was never provided with money to buy something for herself, all she had were hand me downs or Ester's clothes.
Amara was immediately send to the kitchen to start on dinner because it was already late. While stirring the large pot of pasta sauce Amara couldn't help but feel dejected, more than she ever felt before. The last few hours were difficult for her but she felt special, she was the centre of attention and got everything she liked. But all of this was for what? To send her off in a martial bond with a stranger who would probably treat her worse than her family.
Amara skipped dinner, she didn't feel like being surrounded by the people who hurt her all her life. Before she was in the delusion that somewhere deep in their heart they cared but after their announcement she couldn't bring herself to look at them as she did before.
She never disliked them as they were her only family, but now her heart was weeping and tearing apart as every hour passed. How can she forgive them for giving her so much pain?
If her to be husband were anything like them, then she wished with the bottom of her heart that death would be her guest before the wedding day. Like any other day she went to bed after talking to her parents, telling them about her upcoming wedding, tears leaked from her closed eyes as she laid on her bed waiting for sleep to take over so she could have a few hours of peace.
But even after lying motionless for so long she didn't feel sleepy, instead her heart hurt, the future scared her. Her body trembled with loud sobs as she looked up at the stars again.
"How can you shine so bright when I'm in pain momma? Why is happiness seem so distant papa? Is this my life now? I've lived everyday thinking it will eventually get better with time but it never did, now they are doing this to me. How can you just sit there watching me suffer?" Her night was spend like that, crying her sorrows to her parents who twinkled up high in the sky.
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Silence.
That's how the next few days passed. Amara quietly did everything that was expected of her, that included learning makeup tricks, fashion skills and elegance. Apparently, her normal self was repelling and needed polishing to the extent the old Amara was buried deep inside the layers, the new Amara was pretty, she knew elegance comparable to a princess, the only thing that resembled her old self was that both didn't talk.
Amara never spoke if not spoken. She had accepted her fate only because she knew nothing could be done about it, her life was bound to be this way and no matter what it would be the same. She was not brave enough to raise her voice so she just kept mum and enjoyed her time in her parents house for the time being.
Her already fragile heart shuddered thinking about tomorrow. She would see him for the first time tomorrow. She was curious to see what he looked like, she had done her research on Maximus Knight but the internet was at a loss when it came to his pictures.
Maximus Knight, eldest among the three sons of Adrian and Joanne Knight. He had a reputation for being cold and insensitive, known for his righteous ways and admired for his beliefs. He believed in hard work, and his work spoke for him. From a young age he was never exposed to the media even though his father was a top businessman. That gave him a mysterious aura that intrigued her.
"You will wear this dress tomorrow and be ready before breakfast. The maids will do all the work tomorrow, pretend you are a princess and behave like one. Maximus has a standard that you have to match. Ester would have clearly been a better candidate but oh well, you will have to do." Amara swallowed the taunt her aunt added at the end and nodded in agreement.
Her settlement with fate included being an obedient child, she was not going to fight now when she didn't have courage to do it all her life, she could only hope Maximus was better, she didn't expect love from him, only a little respect and care that she deserved would do, she could live with that.
Amara eyed the elegant pure white off shoulder dress laid on her bed, it was so beautiful that she felt unworthy of wearing it. It was one of her favourite when she went shopping with her aunt, it was not like those revealing dressed that she had gotten because of her aunt. The white dress covered her modestly, fitted on the bodice and flares down her waist till the knee.
Her mind registered the nervousness she was feeling when the night came, realisation struck her like lightning that Maximus Knight would be joing them for breakfast the next morning along with his brothers. The fluttering in her heart won't stop no matter what she did, it was annoying but thrilling.
Sleep had abandoned her that night, she laid awake in bed until the early hours of morning when she had to get up and doll up for her future husband. Amara's excitement hadn't dulled, her hands trembled slightly while putting on the dress.
It felt like a first date, as if she was getting ready to impress her boyfriend after not seeing him for a long time. But it was no date and there was no boyfriend, there was only a business deal as a forced matrimonial alliance.
"Amara! Are you ready?" Her aunt asked barging in without knocking. Amara whirled around in surprise, her hand clutching the stud earring she was attempting to wear.
"Yes Aunt." Amara mumbled, her aunt nodded in approval as she took in her appearance.
Amara looked truly magical in the dress, it hugged her figure all in the right places and complemented her skin tone, she paired her outfit with white stud earrings and two inch wedges, her hair was curled to perfect into loose curls and makeup was done light and precise. Everything she had learned in the span of a week was tested today and she passed.
"You look fine. Come out in a few minutes, they are on their way." Once she left, Amara sat on her bed fisting the bed sheet tightly, she felt a tight knot in the pit of her stomach which made her uncomfortable. She was not ready, she couldn't do it.
But I have to, I have to. She chanted in her head.
With every ticking second she felt her heart race faster, she was scared it will jump out of her chest. One last time she looked at herself in the mirror, the shine in her blue eyes had dimmed but they were still pretty like her mother's. The clock struck 8'o clock, she had to go out.
With small steps, slowly she went towards the dining hall with her heart in her hands, ready to be broken or cherished. Out of habit her head hung low as she entered the hall where chatterin could be heard clearly. The unknown voices had her fisting her palms to the point where the nails dug into her skin.
The sting felt oddly satisfying. She stood there in a trance not looking up, her assigned seat was empty, she could see that much. The chattering stopped and so did her heart, so they finally noticed her. Amara put on her practiced smile and slowly looked up, only for it to be knocked down along with her breath.
Her eyes connected with the unique golden orbs, they stared at her with so much intensity that she felt weak on her knees. All the practice and work felt worthless when she self judgement and self consciousness came rushing back and settled on her mind.
Her eyes moved down from his mesmerising golden pools, she took in his pink lips and the sharp jaw, she noticed he had thick black hair and an overall look of a model out of Vogue magazine. He had a magnetic force around him that attracted her towards him without thinking about the consequences.
"Looks like sister in law is left speechless at our brother's beauty." A comment from a stranger snapped her out of the trance, she hadn't realized that she was openly staring at his face, her face heated up in embarrassment as she slowly took her seat, keeping her head bowed to avoid any further awkwardness.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Amara is usually not like this." She heard her aunt apologize, she will have to hear later.
"It's fine Mrs Highmore." She melted at his deep voice that sounded like chocolate, how that made sense to her, she didn't know. She took a sneaky glance at him, he was sitting next to her uncle and two other men next to him, she assumed to be his brothers. Her aunt and Ester were sitting on the opposite side along with Amara.
He was wearing a dark blue pin strip suit that hugged him perfectly making his muscles bulge every movement he made, god must have taken his time to prepare a specimen like him, he looked heavenly. She silently reprimanded herself for thinking like that.
Her blue eyes moved towards the men sitting besides him - his brothers, they had the same features as him. One of them had a more boyish charm around him, his eyes had smile crinkles around them which said he smiled a lot while the other had more calmness around him.
All three brothers were different but same at the same time. She could see a hint of Maximus on his brothers, she smiled.
"Why are you not eating sister in law?" Once again her face flamed in mortification. She tried to stutter out a response but Ester beat her to it.
"She's been feeling a little sick these days, nothing serious though." Ester squeezed her hand painfully tight under the table, she hissed a little in pain but maintained the smile on her face, not letting her pain show with expertise.
"Are you really sick sister in law? We came at a bad time?" The calm one, who she assumed was Marcus said with concern showing through his furrowed brows. Amara was surprised, she didn't expect concern from a total stranger.
"It's okay. I'm fine now. Thank you." She said sincerely, even the small gesture was very heart touching for her. It gave her hope for the near future.
"It's not okay! Have you seen the doctor yet? You are our sister in law and we can't let you be sick!" Whom she assumed to be Elliott said sticking up his fork in the air to make a point. Amara giggles at his antics, she found him adorable.
"I am really fine now. Thank you for your concern, Elliott is it?"
"Yes! Marcus, she knows me!" Elliott shook Marcus in excitement, Amara let out a full laugh at that. She felt good in their company after only being there for a few minutes. Amara couldn't remember when was the last time she had laughed like this or even smile that bright.
"I feel left out, sister in law. You don't recognize me?" Marcus held his hands to his heart in mock hurt. Amara shook her head in amusement, the 440 watt smile still stuck in hee lips.
"Of course I do Marcus." She reminded softly, earning a smile from her brother in law.
"I see you both are getting along with your sister in law." Maximus commented at their playful exchange. Amara sobered up, she realized that her family was still there and looking at her sternly. Her aunt had a murderous expression under her smile, she had come to understand her moods in the past years, she knew she was doomed.
"Yes! Sister in law is nice. I approve, what 'bout you Marc?"
"Absolutely. She's nice."
"I am happy that your brothers have already accepted our Amara."
"Me too." He said, Amara wanted to see him smile but unfortunately he didn't give one.
"If we're done here, should we sign the documents then?"
"Yes, of course." All of them stood up, the playful mood was gone and replaced by seriousness. The brothers gave her a smile each and left after her uncle, Maximus gave her a glance, staying behind for a few long seconds and then left with the others.
My heart, are you trying to kill me with the racing? She thought to herself with a secret smile.