PROLOGUE
alliances and duty

     Naomie Lee was her mother's girl. Being the oldest out of six (the eldest girl) meant that she kept the family together and always made sure her sisters had everything they ever wanted. Her brother made sure they had everything they needed but Naomie was the heart of them all.

     Zilpha Lee thought her daughter to be an angel. A saint who took a hold of the family burdens and sorted everything out. That's why it pained her to sell away her daughter to the enemy.

     Thomas Shelby offered up a deal of peace and to spare anymore bloodshed and heartache, she accepted. But it meant that her eldest daughter had to marry one of the Shelby men. Zilpha knew Naomie would do her duty and she would do it without complaint. But she hoped that she could one day forgive her for doing what she thought was best.

     Naomie and Esme Lee now sat outside in a couple of old wooden chairs and drank a cup of tea. It had been a day since the Lee girl had found out she was getting married, she had been shocked but soon accepted her future and insisted she spend some time with Esme.

     "Do you think he'll be fat", Esme pursed her lips, her dark hair framed her natural face, amusement twinkled in her eyes as she looked at her sister.

     Naomie pulled a face of disgust, "I bloody hope not". The truth was that she was scared. Despite her facade, she was petrified that perhaps this man would mistreat her, or... be ugly. She wasn't sure.

     She wanted to fall in love one day. To a man who was kind and loving, someone who worshipped the ground she walked upon. A man who bought her nice things, bought her old things. And most importantly, a man who would go to a green field covered in beautiful flowers and would pick a bunch of them and gift them to her.

     Despite the fact her marriage came rather quickly and was being arranged for her, she still hoped that she would lock eyes with the unknown man and just know and maybe, just maybe fall in love with him.

     Esme watched Naomie closely and saw the hope that was in her eyes but she also saw the naivety and the sadness, "You could have said no, y'know?". The latter met her eyes and lifted her eyebrows, "Naomie, if you didn't want this, you can still say. War will happen but... you'd still be free".

     Naomie looked down at her tea, the milk lines swirled carelessly in a circle. Suddenly she envied the tea. She then put on a brave face and sighed, "I want this, Es", her sister looked back unsure, "No really, I do. I want us to be safe and if that means marrying someone I don't know then so be it. Arranged marriages happen all the time, they can't all be that bad".

     Esme leaned over and placed her pale hand over her sister's arm and smiled, "If you're sure, Nomi. I just want you to be happy, is all".

     The girl smiled back, her dimples filled both her cheeks, "Me too".

     Though, Naomie didn't know that John Shelby was at the betting shop counting the numbers. He didn't have a single clue that they were about to be married.

     But when he did find out, he too hoped that he would be happy.

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