“This is your future wife, sweetie!” Evelyn Marlio De’Luz said excitedly.

So excitedly, it was obvious she was faking it, and her son, Blake De’Luz, could easily see it. “Here, get to now her a bit. Introduce yourselves.” She continued on, making both children in front of her uncomfortable. Of course, who would blame them? The girl, Lana Tilac, was six. Blake, was eight. Both from the most powerful families in the country, and both willing to sacrifice their children for more power. Evelyn quickly hustled along, leaving the two strangers in the big living room by themselves. Lana, a sweet smile that could melt anyone’s heart, held her hand out.

“Hi, my name’s Lana.”

Blake, not understanding their situation, only sat down on a nearby, leather couch. Leaving Lana’s hand in the air. Lana, seeing Blake wouldn’t take her hand, slowly put it down. She tried to smile again, but froze when she saw the look on Blake’s face. Blake didn’t like her.

Not because the girl in front of him was his future wife, he didn’t understand that concept yet. And also not because he thought she was ugly, no, she was the prettiest girl he’d seen yet. But only because she was a stranger, and Blake didn’t like strangers. He also didn’t put up an effort to hide it.

Piercing Lana through, Blake only stared at her, his eyes slightly narrowed, lips downward. His eyes were a beautiful, honey gold, a color that should’ve looked warm. And it did, but only when he was smiling. With his blank face on, Lana couldn’t help put shiver, and want to escape from his gaze. Her parents had told her to make friends though. With the boy in front of her. Or they wouldn’t let her back home. She tried again, this time her voice quivering.

“H-hi. Uh-um, would y-you like t-to be fr-friends?”

She felt like she was losing air, struggling to keep her sweet smile on her face. Struggling to not cry. Blake didn’t understand why she was here. He didn’t understand that all she needed was for him to smile back. So he said what was on his mind.

“Stop stuttering. Are you dumb?”

That was it. The finally factor in crushing the resistance Lana had built from crying. The cold stare, the disgusted look, the mean words, the obvious dislike towards her. She was only six. And she’d been protected since her birth. People usually only complimented her. She was yet to occur this. Until Blake.

So she did what a six year old, pained little girl would do. She cried. And it earned both children a beating.

At the sound of her screams, Blake’s parents arrived first. The scene before them was Blake sitting on the couch, and Lana standing there with tears streaming down her face. Martin De’Luz, Blake’s father, if anyone could even call him that, took three big strides, and slapped Blake across his face. The slap echoed in the empty room, but were over covered by Lana’s sniffles.

Martin knew nothing families needed this marriage between their children, and he would not let Blake be the one who ruined it.

Lana’s parents, William Tilac and Cassandra Monet Tilac, arrived a bit later, also taking the situation in front of them. But through a different perspective. They apologized towards Blake’s, saying it couldn’t have been his fault. The meeting between the two families stopped there for now.

As soon as Lana’s family left the De’Luz mansion, two things happened. But the effects were the same.

Blake was beaten by his father Martin. For making Lana cry. He learned that day that even if he hated Lana Tilac, he had to act like he didn’t.

Lana, was slapped and hit by her father, William. Until she stopped crying out of fear. He told her if she ever cried in front of Blake again, she’d be kicked out. That’s right. The only reason Lana was marrying Blake was because she was the eldest. She still had three younger sisters William wouldn’t mind marrying to Blake. William didn’t care who it was. Just that the marriage would happen.

Lana learned that day that she could never cry again. Not in front of people. And no matter how much Blake De’Luz made her want to, she had to keep a smile on her face.

And such marked the end of their first meeting. But a beginning to so much more.

Lana and Blake would be forced to meet many times after the day Lana cried. The second time they met, Lana remained in fear of Blake. Blake remained distant to Lana. They weren’t comfortable with one another, but they knew that wouldn’t change anything.

Yet things would change after their thrid, fourth, fifth, nth meeting. Just as all things do with time.

And just like so, through many many many more meetings, the two children grew up. Going to the same elementary, middle, and high schools.

Their parents made sure of it. As the two continued through their journey of “getting to know” each other, Lana stayed sweet. She still hung the beautiful smile she had on the day she first meet Blake everywhere she went. She grew into a pretty young lady.

Her hair shined in the sunlight, going from its usual chocolate brown into a dark red. Her eyes were warm, honey brown which gave everyone who met her a sense of relaxation.

Her figure remained slim, but plump enough in the areas they needed to be, becoming quite the sight wherever she went. And as time went on, she forgot about her fear of Blake. She forced herself to.

She repeated everyday in her mind that she liked him, and it seemed to work fine.

She got more and more comfortable around Blake, and started to truly want to be friends with the man she was destined to marry. Blake did not.

He’d grown into a handsome young man. Girls fanned over him, drowning in his cold aura. Blake didn’t grow fond of Lana as she did to him. He didn’t try to make the effort to. He just didn’t...hate her.

His icy, blue eyes struck everyone who he looked at, scaring quite a lot of people. And creating even more of a distance than his non people personality did.

But they seemed to soften when Lana came around. They didn’t seem so cold when he was looking at Lana. Maybe he was just used to seeing her. Maybe he’d warmed up to her without knowing.

But their relationship never seemed to evolve into a true friendship. Even in high school, after 10 years of their first meeting, their relationship could only be described as Lana following Blake around wherever he went. Blake never talked to Lana first. And it was clear Lana was the only one giving any effort into the heir parent’s arrangements.

Lana often got bullied.

Despite being from such a big family, her actions of following Blake and nice personality got her much hate, and jealousy. Of course, the boys liked her.

There weren’t any that didn’t. A sweet girl with a pretty face. There was nothing to hate. But Lana rejected all of them. For the sole sake of Blake.

Girls on the other hand, naturally thought of Lana as a fake slut. Everything she did seemed to be of the point to seduce another boy in their eyes.

So Lana got pushed around, verbally abused, hit a few times, locked in the toilet, got stolen from, and more. She never made a fuss of it though.

Not because she was weak. But she knew there was no point in trying to communicate with rage filled people. So she put all of it inside her. And still faved the world everyday with a smile.

But one day, a group of girls took things too far. They held Lana on the ground, and took turns beating her face. Lana didn’t try to call for help. She knew no one would come. And just like that, on the school rooftop, Lana was beated till she lost conciousness.

She was found later. Half dead with a whiff of breath left.

It was Blake who found her. He’d found it abnormal that he hadn’t seen the girl who always followed him around.

When the view of Lana on the ground, face bloody, came into sight, he froze. He had two choices. He could save her.

He could also leave her. And she might die. And he would be free. But for some reason, the last option brought a spike in his heart. And he picked up the fragile girl in front of him. And ran, the fastest he’d ever ran, to the nearest hospital.