Prologue

Kiran Fleming looked at the letter in her hand with displeasure, it was clearly sealed with the Fleming family emblem.

'Ugh, again? Why don't they find someone else to rule that damned kingdom?!' She thought irritably and sighed.

The adviser of the Fleming kingdom, a small region of Ireland, has been bugging her about becoming the ruler. That would make her Lady Kiran.

'No thank you.' She thought. 'My name doesn't sound like a lady's anyway, why the hell would I ever want to be one?' Kiran was absolutely opposed to the thought of having to act all polite and ladylike.

'Besides, what exactly is in ruling a kingdom I hardly even know about?'

'Pathetic excuses,' a more honest part of herself stated. 'you know that that's all those are.' And Kiran did, though she would never admit it, even to herself. All her protest was really just a manifestation of her own weakness, because she wanted to live her life, for them, if not for herself. She knew it, too. She even- distantly- acknowledged it, but acknowledgement isn't the same as caring.

The reason they wanted her to rule was because she's smart, has leadership skills, and is charismatic in both looks and speech. And her cousins were…lacking in one area or another. Bluntly speaking, her cousins all spoiled idiots.

She was really their only half decent choice, and Adamson's desperation in getting her to accept reflected that clearly. Maybe if Kiran was a softer person she would be ashamed that she was causing him so much trouble, but she wasn't.

Kiran promptly wrote up a letter in reply,

Dear adviser Adamson,

I don't know how many times I'll have to say this, but for your convenience I'll say it again, I will never become ruler of Fleming, please find someone else. If you need me to, I will decline officially. Send me notification if you need me to fly to Ireland to settle this matter. I-

Her writing was interrupted by a knock on the door, she went to get it, as she knew no one else would. She immediately regretted her decision as a sharp stinging sensation appeared in her cheek, she cupped it in her hand as a reflex and in an attempt to cool it from the burning feeling that washed over it. She looked up to see her aunt, Victoria Burstein. 'This damned woman again?!'

"You ungrateful little letch!" Victoria screamed. Her voice unpleasantly shrill. What Kiran knew could be a deceptively compelling tone completely distorted by rage.

'Ugh.' Kiran thought, her aunt was crazy in a very literal sense.

"What is it this time?" Kiran questioned, venom laced her voice as she rubbed her cheek. 'Damned this woman can hit!'

"I was kind enough to take you in after your parents died!"

'Because it would damage your reputation if you didn't.'

"Then I named you heir to the Burstein fortune!"

'Because you have no other children.'

"Then I tried to find you a suitable husband!"

'You did that to sell me off, you delusional old hag!'

"And yet you've rejected another marriage proposal!" Kiran understandably glared as her aunt finished her rant.

"I'm not going so grovel at some spoiled rich boy's feet and spend my life acting demure and helpless." She said calmly, not betraying her loathing for the woman.

'If there's absolutely no chance I'd waste my life acting on your whims.'

Victoria got ready to slap Kiran again but as Victoria's hand was about to collide with her face she caught it. Kiran continued her reply with a steady determination, "And I am not helpless."

Kiran released Victoria's hand and was about to leave, when Victoria slapped her, this time with enough force that Kiran was knocked to the ground.

Two men came in behind Victoria and grabbed Kiran's arms.

I know Kiran is a bit of a spoiled brat right now, but she has her reasons, and that's what character development is for, right?

Review?