Free Falling Hard (Veronica's Secret) by Scarlet Rose

Chapter 1
    Veronica’s life was not turning out how she thought it would. Her brother, the future King of Palinna, and her mother, Queen Mariana, had been killed in a brutal attack just outside the city walls. Her father, King Doogan, was ill. He would die within the next year.
    And now she was being forced into a marriage she didn’t want.
    She stared out the window of her room, watching the people of the city go about business as usual.
    The sky was overcast, and so was Veronica’s mood.
    The happy world she grew up in no longer existed. Bands of grolls—nasty bear-like creatures that ate human flesh—patrolled the countryside, and killed anyone stupid enough to travel alone or in small groups.
    They came out of nowhere, it seemed. No one even knew they were there until the day they killed Veronica’s mother and brother. Then, the bands seemed to grow larger and attack more frequently. The people of the city huddled inside the vast stone walls for protection. Traders traveled from city to city in large groups, causing the replenishment of supplies to be unreliable and sporadic.
    Veronica’s dyi ng father wanted to secure his kingdom before he died, so he found a husband for her that would build a strong alliance with the neighboring lands.
    But she didn’t want to marry a man she didn’t know from a place she’d never been. She wanted to marry Aaron, her best friend’s brother. Veronica understood the necessity of her father’s plan to m arry her off to a strong Prince. But that didn’t change the fact that her heart already belonged to someone else.
    It was all she could do not to worry as she waited for the one carriage that could bring her a moment’s peace to come up the drive.
    Carriages had been arriving in groups for the past several days, in anticipation of Veronica’s imminent engagement to Prince Benard. Each arrival upset her more as people she didn’t know spilled out of them and into the castle.
    Finally, she saw the carriage she hoped for creeping slowly up the front drive. It carried her only friend in this world, Nayla, and her brother, Aaron. The sight of it cheered her a bit. The reason for its arrival dulled it back down.
    Veronica went back inside her room, and waited for Nayla and Aaron to break through the ceremony of arrival and make their way up to see her.
    Anxiety coursed through her veins. Soon she’d be engaged to Benard, who she’d never even met, and would only be able to fantasize about a life with Aaron. It was something she could have had if her brother were still alive to take the throne, but now those dreams were crushed.
    She tapped her fingers absently on her nightstand while she waited.
    The door to her room flung open and Nayla entered with her arms open wide. “Veronica!”
    She hugged her tighter than she ever had before. “ Nayla,” she whispered into her friend’s short brown hair. “So much has changed since you visited last autumn.”
    “I know. I’m so sorry we couldn’t come sooner.”
    “Did Aaron come with you?”
    Nayla gave her friend a sly smile. “Of course. No amount of heroics could have kept him away.”
    Mixed emotions fluttered through her. She couldn’t wait to see Aaron again. She loved him. But she would also have to say goodbye to him.
    Nayla held Veronica’s hands for comfort. “Listen. We can talk tomorrow. I want you to have time to spend with Aaron tonight. The ceremony isn’t until dawn. You still have some time together.” Nayla raised her eyebrows and then winked at her friend.
    Veronica sighed in relief at Nayla’s understanding and consideration for what she was going through. “Thank you,” she whispered and hugged her dearest friend.
    “I’ll go give him an excuse to break away from all the men. You sexy yourself up.” Nayla turned and left.
    Veronica laughed at her best friend’s boldness, and ran one mor e time to gaze into the mirror.
    She would make the most of this last chance to be with Aaron.

Chapter