Chapter One

SHIFTING to Stanninia signified all of the things she was leaving behind, although unknowingly to her she wouldn't just be leaving her old life, she'd be leaving more than that. Shifting to the beautiful country signified the things she would gain now that she was moving away from home: a husband, a large estate and not much more.

She was going to marry her dad's wealthy childhood friend son Bryant Richmond . The irony is that she has met Bryant only once. He was nice. Handsome. Polite. Only when her parents were around. And at times when her parents weren't around, he was rational and diplomatic. But it didn't matter she has to marry him, no matter what. Or that Bryant had been the first to plant a sloppy kiss on her lips. Because she didn't care much for him. And frankly, it was surprising to know he cared at all too.

The news he wanted to court her came to much shock to her sister. It didn't come to a surprise to her family however. Her elder brother, Ben Flowers, was a peaceful and warm human, he had told her she could deny Bryant's wishes for courtship. She could say no, provided she was kind. Because as her brother had said, hearts were fragile and thus must be treated with care. But her father on the other hand. He was the exact opposite of his son. He was cold-calculative, every move not made without a few dozen analysis beforehand. Her father told her she couldn't say no. If she didn't, her family would be in ruins. They were in debt, news Jules hadn't learned until a few weeks ago. If she ignored her father and went against his wishes, they'd be living in the streets in less than a few weeks. Jules searched for a way to prove her father was wrong. Desperately searched for a loophole, something she could hold on to. But in the end, she reached a single conclusion: her father was right. Yet again, always right. Jules didn't want to marry Bryant. Didn't want to even be courted by him. She didn't want to leave Andbia, the country in which she grew up on and spend beautiful 20 years of her life. She didn't wanted to shift to Stanninia. She didn't wanted to do anything she didn't want.

And yet here she was, watching her maids packing her. And yet here she was, herself, going to marry a man she didn't want to. Frankly, she wished that the airplane she was going fly on would crash.

Well the plane on which Jules Flowers was going to fly on wasn't some normal ordinary plane. Perhaps it was one of the Brobdingnagian, rich, pleasant, and comfortable plane ever flew in history.

The plane itself had a little world of itself inside it. It had a smoking room, restaurant, swimming pool, a dining saloon, a reading and writing room and even personal suites for rich passengers. The plane was going to make it's very first flight from Andbia to Stanninia tonight. The flight was 4 days 18 hours and 45 minutes long. Anyone who was going to fly on this magnificent plane was considered super lucky and blessed from God.

But Jules Flowers wasn't in a position to position where she could call herself lucky just because she was going to fly on a elephantine plane. She solemnly and selfishly wished the plane to crash so she wouldn't have to do this. So that her life wouldn't end before it began. And it was true really, her life was over. She hadn't even fallen in love. She hadn't even had her first kiss. And now she would never have the chance to.

She wasn't as well traveled as she liked to be. She'd been out of the Andbia only a few times as a child. She didn't want to do this. She wanted to be a doctor. She wanted to travel, to unseen places, to far places. To places no one had seen before. She wanted to do something that would benefit the human kind. She didn't want to stop. She didn't want to settle. And still, she'd done very little to stop her fate.

At the Airport

She watched as her bags where taken away from her. She watched as a man stood in the distance, getting his boarding pass . His eyes said he was somewhere else, lost, where there weren't noises of children running around or of mothers scolding them. For a moment Jules was there too, a damn quiet place, where people weren't chattering loudly, a place which was anywhere but here.

He was handsome, Jules noted. Hell handsome. He had a sharp jawline, ocean blue eyes (or perhaps they were green, Jules couldn't decide) and well-formed red lips. His raven black hair was slicked away from his forehead. And for a moment as Jules stared on, he looked up, their eyes meeting for a split of a second, a chill running down her spine before someone called out her name.

Jules!" Her brother called out again. She snapped from her thoughts, turning away from the man in the distance to face her father. When she turned around again, the handsome man was gone. Her brother offered her a warm smile, titling his head towards the jet bridge, urging him to join her. She followed, her pace much slower than her father's. "Don't you think its lovely, Jules?"

His eyes were locked on the stairwell inside the plane. It was one of the shiniest stairwells she'd ever seen. So clean and shinny, Jules thought she might slip if she took one step. It parted in the middle, one side leading to the left corridor and the other side to the right. There was a small statute of a man holding what appeared to be a torch, in the middle of the stairwell, where it parted. Her brother was mesmerized by the magnificent airplane. Her father, on the other hand, couldn't be bothered to stop and admire anything. He was speaking to a servant in a harsh tone, saying something about his bags or something else....Jules had learned to tune out her father long ago. Her brother locked their arms and she offered him a small smile. "Shall we?" He asked. She nodded and with him, took a step up the staircase. He lead her to her suite and opened the door for her, even though he didn't have to, even though there were people who could do that and whose jobs it was to do that. "Why don't you rest, dear?"

"No, no, no. Don't rest too long, Jules. I need you downstairs in a few hours. Bryant will make an announcement. Wear one of your prettiest dresses," her father said. He hadn't noticed her arrival. But there he was, present, unwanted. "Whatever you say, father." She said rolling her eyes still she managed a thin smile and went inside her suite. She shut the door on her father's face and quickly undid her bun.

She took a moment to admire her suite, the bed was by the left side of the wall, a writing desk and burgundy colored chair across from it. And in the middle of her room was some furniture, chairs and a coffee table at the center. She rubbed her forehead, trying to make the pain go away. She flopped on her bed and purposely told herself not to wake up in a few hours. She threw a pillow over her head, covering her ear and closed her eyes.

BRYANT was a loud chewer. And it always took patience on Jules's side not to scoff and leave the dinner table. If he wasn't so filthy rich, and about to save them from poverty, her father would surely scolded him. She'd been woken up by a servant who Jules had confused for someone she knew. She'd scolded the young woman, muttering things under her breath. Once she noticed it wasn't anyone she knew, she apologized instantly. But the young woman still left with tears welled in her eyes.

The young servant had sent someone else to help her get ready. Jules made sure to be extra nice to that another young servant, smiling and saying more thank you than necessary. She was trying to eat now, trying not to feel guilty about what she'd done. But food wasn't going down well. Bryant noticed, his hazel eyes slightly changing color. He looked at her from the corner of his eye as she tried not to notice. She turned her head, looking at a golden chandelier which hung high on the ceiling.

"Are you alright, Jewel?" He asked her. Jewel . He was the only one who still called her that. She took a sip of her wine. She was dizzy, unaccustomed to being on a plane. Unaccustomed to being surrounded by so many people for long periods of time. " Would you like for me order you something different?"

"No, I'm fine Mr. Richmond ," she said. She decided to address him formally and keep a distance from him. Why?. Because he decided to court her, nothing else felt appropriate and plus she disliked him. He felt like a stranger. Cold. And she a thousand percent sure that even in a million years she won't develop feelings towards him.

Looking at Jules expressions he sighed next to her.

"Jewel, please. We've are soon to get engaged. Please call me Bryant," he said. He was speaking softly, almost murmuring so that Jules's father wouldn't scold her.

"Well Bryant, to be honest I really don't want to do this. I don't want you to court me. I have many things to do in my life rather than getting court and married to a man I don't even barely kn- " she began as her father interrupted her, waving his hand as if dispersing Jules's words away.

"What is it that you wanted to tell us Bryant?" Her father asked. Her father, whose name was Orfeo. Orfeo Flowers. He was a handsome man. His face was oval, he had full lips and straight nose. But his face, despite his age, showed little sings and lines, he had aged. Bryant cleared his throat, seemingly thankful Orfeo had changed the conversation.

"It was going to be a surprise but uh….the party that we're having tonight is our engagement party," Bryant cheered.

Orfeo gasped as if he hadn't been expecting this. Jules's brother seemed quietly pleased. Ben falsely believed that Jules also loved Bryant.

Jules swallowed, drowning in her sense of self pity. If she'd told her brother she didn't love Bryant, maybe her brother would stop this wedding. But then what? Bryant Richmond was determined to marry her.

"Jewel, you're pale. Are you alright?" Bryant asked. She held her stomach, her hands traveling up to her chest as though she was losing the ability to breathe, which she was. Her lungs were filled with water.

She was drowning, slowly, the life being sucked out of her.

"I must catch my breath. Please excuse me," she said. She swiftly left the table before she could be stopped by someone. She walked towards the exit of the restaurant and towards the deck of the ship. She wasn't looking where she was going and she bumped face first with a stranger. The impact of her face against his chest made Jules rub her cheeks. "OW."

"Oops," he said. Margaret looked up, meeting the strangers face. She'd looked at him a few hours ago. The stranger who had looked at the great Sigmund whilst wearing a lost expression. "Excuse me, I wasn't watching my step."

"I'd say you weren't," she muttered under her breath. He was stunned by her beauty, his whole face red, huh. He sucked in a breath as Jules pushed past him. He exhaled and inhaled, as though there was something sweet in the air.

"What's your name?" He called after her. She didn't turn around. She walked further into the edges of stairwell, closer and closer to the edge. She was close enough to where she could jump…but there were far too many people . "I said, what's your name?"

"Not deaf!"

"Not deaf, nice to meet you. I'm Bennet Hawkins ," he said. He reached Jules side. She slowly turned around, amused at his stupid joke. She extended her hand for him to shake. He looked at her hand carefully, as though it was something delicate before shaking her hand. "Not deaf is a very original name."

"Jules Flowers."

"Jules Flowers," Bennet said. He said her name slowly, as if tasting the words on his lips. Satisfied, he smiled. The AC wind blew Jules's hair from side to side, making him suck in his breath, yet again. He took a step towards her, brushing her hair off her shoulders, such action causing her to shiver. He closed his eyes momentarily before opening them, turning around.

"Congrats for your engagement". And with that, Bennet left. She watched him leave and wondered how he knew that she's getting engaged or is already engaged. And then, not a moment later, her selfish father walked towards Jules. He stopped in front of her. He scoffed, before quickly slapping her cheek tightly. Jules was too stunned to move, touching her warm and aching cheek. "I would hit you harder Jules Flowers, but its going to leave a mark," Orfeo said. "Go inside, now. You must apologize to Bryant for leaving so suddenly. I need you wearing your prettiest dress tonight. You must smile. You must act content. You are, after all, to be married to Bryant as soon we land."

What? Jules couldn't help but gasp in shock. She was going to be married to a man she disliked in less than 5 days? No. This couldn't be happening. She'd thought there'd be more time. No. She couldn't marry him. No. She had to find a way to end this. Orfeo left her side, walking back to the restaurant. Jules turned to the stairwell once more, perhaps there was a solution after all.

Perhaps she'd simply jump. And die. The stairwell was pretty high and if she'd she would definitely die. Tonight. There'd be no one to stop her. There'd be no one to stop her from doing such a silly thing. Or perhaps they'd think it was an accident. She slipped and fell from the shiny smooth buttery stairwell. Yes, people thought silly things.

Tonight, there'd be no one to stop her from jumping. Tonight, there'd be no one to stop her from getting free.