The morning had gone regularly enough, a morning full of classes kept her mind occupied from the impending storm that was surely just around the corner.  Things never stayed so mundane for too long, especially in the castle.  She waited patiently in the Great Hall, wondering if she’d get any post from her owl.  Nearly as soon as the thought crossed her mind, a single letter was dropped down right in front of her.  Initially she had perked up—it had been a while since she had received a letter from anyone.  When she inspected it further however, her body language completely changed, muscles tensing as she recognized the handwriting on the front of the envelope.  She quickly gathered her things and went toward the library, hoping she could read the letter in peace.

Curled up on a well-used arm chair, she carefully opened the envelope, bracing herself for whatever she was about to read, knowing that if it was coming from him, it was bound to be absolutely awful.

Vivian,

I hope this letter finds you well.  You mustn’t make any plans for the coming summer months.  I have done you the favor of setting up several meetings between you and your potential suitors.  At the conclusion of this school year, do make haste on your return home.  I am optimistic that we will find you a most adequate husband by the end of the next coming months.

Vivian didn’t know whether to crumble the letter up, rip it up into a million pieces, or just curl around herself and weep.  This was not what she wanted, not by a long-shot.  Ever since her mother passed away, her father was doing everything in his power to marry her off to anyone who would pay enough money, or who had a high enough social ranking.  She had argued until she was blue in the face about how she was completely against his desire to arrange her marriage, but he was hearing none of it.  He continued to pressure her into meeting these men, mostly twice her age.  It made her skin crawl.  All she wanted was to be free; free from the school in which she could rely or confide in anyone, and free from the clutches of a father who wanted nothing to do with her.

She didn’t realize that her face was wet, tears betraying her as they dropped freely from her eyes.  Curling in on herself, she looked out the window in the library at the birds, wanting desperately to be like them, to be able to somehow sprout wings and fly away from everything.  Her body shook with silent sadness, knowing that no one would even notice her hushed torment that she kept to herself.

She was a bird in a gilded cage, without any hope of being released, rather, her wings were going to be clipped.