The Arrogant King's Betrothed

Part 1- Detour

Shandy was excited as she packed up the last of her luggage and the gifts she'd meticulously chosen for her family. Soon she would be well on her way to reconnect with the ones she had so desperately missed the entire year. Video chats...just didn't cut it, she was ready to embrace her mother, father & siblings once again.

For the past three years she had made the long car trip by her lonesome. She didn't mind at all however, she actually looked forward to the peaceful journey, that would take her one day if she drove nonstop, two if she decided to take a rest at the cozy little chalets along the way.

It was a scenic beautiful route she chose to travel. The snow that blanketed the rolling hills was truly a breathtaking sight to behold.

The evening sun always created the most radiant sparkling colors. The white pines looked as though nature itself had carefully decorated each one with millions of tiny diamonds that sparkled in all the dazzling colors of the rainbow.

Indeed this was a trip she adored.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Shandy had been driving for a couple of hours, only stopping once at the quaint little coffee shop to grab herself a large pumpkin spice cappuccino...a little tradition she upheld everytime she made this trip.

"Siiiilent niiiight!...hoooolyyy niiight! aaalll is caaalm, aaallll is quiet" she bellowed out with the Christmas tunes playing on the radio. Singing had never been her forté, and she damn well knew it. But what the hell, she was alone and in the holiday spirit with no one to hear her loud caterwauling.

Suddenly her eyes caught sight of the flashing yellow lights illuminating in the distance through the falling snow that seemed to be getting heavier by the second.

"Wh...what is this?" she pondered, staring at the flashing warning lights and arrows pointing to a side road detour.

She had never noticed this road in the three years she'd been taking this same path. Maybe she had just never really payed any mind to it before. This was definitely cause for concern.

"Ahhh shit!" She grumbled coming to a full stop, huffing and bumping her head against the steering wheel in frustration. "Well.... I suppose I have absolutely no choice. Damnit!" She cursed, rolling her eyes and yanking her car in reverse, slowly inching backwards then rolling forward down the little back road while she focused on the road that lay before her.

She continued at a slow steady pace, the blinding snow making it virtually impossible to see where she was going.

Everything seem to disappear as the snow covered her path. Fear gripped her completely, not knowing what she should do.

All at once the small suv Shandy was driving slid sideways down an embankment. A loud bang along with the sound of crushing metal filled the quiet surroundings. Her small frame suddenly felt weightless as her car slid down an embankment flipping over.

Metal crushing, glass shattering filled the tranquil surroundings as the vehicle came to a rest on its top slightly rocking back & forth.

Darkness quickly overcame her before panick could set in.

Alone in the middle of nowhere she hung precariously in her seatbelt upside down.

Scarlett blood trickled from her face and head dripping steadily onto the roof inside.