Thank you so much to Captain Andrews for helping me write this story. Without her help I don't know how long it would've taken me to get to this point. Their patience is immeasurable.
This is another story part of my connected fantasy world.
All persons in this narrative that are sexually involved are all older than 18 years of age. Any likeness to a real life individual is merely coincidence.
PROLOGUE
"He is your future husband,"...
Somewhere in the western most territories of the United States, in the summer of 1858.
There was a warm breeze that danced over Gracelyn. It had been a normal day for her, normal as any day of the other days. She had just turned sixteen a month ago, and her father had purchased her a young Colt for his daughter's birthday. However, it seemed she had been cursed on that day.
A week later the Colt had died from a coyote attack. It's belly was torn open brutally. She still remembers seeing the entrails steam in the cold early morning air.
Two weeks later, their rain catcher had been infected by toads. The water stank of death and shit.
Three weeks later their farm was damaged heavily from a tornado. Her father had taken her and thrown her into the cellar before jumping in after her. She couldn't sleep through the horrid howling of the wind. Her father's muttered prayers were a terrifying symphony under it all.
Now, four weeks later their cow and two chickens had mysteriously died in the night. Her father, William was at his limit with one disaster after another. He was torn inside. He loved his daughter very much and yet now it seemed her coming of age had been cursed. How could he possibly continue to care for her in these conditions? How could he continue to even feed her and himself? It would be best she'd be wed soon.
They didn't have the money to fix the farm nor did they have any money to buy other animals. All that was left was one rooster and what good was this damn farm with only a rooster?
The only blessing it seemed, was Gracelyn inheriting her mother's beauty. The girl had long blonde hair, with honey brown eyes, gorgeously shaped and somewhat thick dark eyebrows to pull you into her gaze, a cute and pert button nose, pink bow lips, and a beauty spot on her left cheek as if placed by god himself to accentuate all the perfect features she was already blessed with. Hell, had she not been wearing a tattered brown dress, and the dirt that caked her body from toiling in her father's fields, would have had anyone questing she was born of rich blood and spent all day drinking sweet tea on a plantation.
Gracelyn's visage is exactly the reason why Albert Miller stopped on the road to stare at her caked in filth from foraging. She hadn't noticed the man, she had been too busy attempting to sell the wild mushrooms she had found in the forest earlier that day, but Albert Miller, a wealthy gunpowder salesman, instantly understood what he wanted, his mind raced with all the depraved actions he could take with her. His cock hardened at the idea of taking her right there on the side of the road- he knew that girl must be his. So he schemed.
So he followed her. Learning the poor girl had lost her mother, just from the town gossip as she passed. Learning she was trying to sell these disgusting mushrooms because their farm was on the brink of disaster. All this knowledge made Albert grin, he knew well enough about the will of a poor father, and desperate- how these people were easily manipulated in those times of need. So, he approached the girl at last.
"Say child," he said smoothly, toying with his curled mustache, "You wouldn't be selling those fine mushrooms would you?"
At the prospect, Gracelyn turned. Hope blooming in her chest. She was so excited, she failed to notice how his eyes lingered on her breasts, or how his grin was as twisted as his mustache. She smiled brightly at him, and to his surprise, her teeth were in good condition.
"Why yes! I certainly am," she said in haste, her pleasant southern drawl caressing his ears- her naïveté was palpable.
He hummed feigning kindness, "How many are you willing to sell little miss? Would two dollars be enough for as many as you'd spare? Perhaps all should you humor me"
Gracelyn gasped. Two dollars was enough to fix the farm and buy a new chicken. She nodded quickly, and so the two exchanged their goods appropriately. She had let her guard down, and while she was overjoyed about the money, he turned his attention from the mushrooms to her- asking if her farm sold other goods. Gracelyn had remembered the honey that a neighboring farm had given them for her birthday. She decided she could sacrifice some gifts if it meant making Papa proud and bringing their dead fields back to life. Grace, excited to sell more goods, offered him the eight jars of honey. He accepted for 3 dollars this time, and she quickly told the man how to get to their farm.
The two went their separate ways after the promises of a future transaction. Grace watched as he effortlessly mounted his black horse and trotted away. Grace raced home excitedly, she knew she had done well, thinking that in some way she had lifted her curse that destroyed her life. In her head she made a list of tasks to prep the mustached man's goods.
"Papa!" Gracelyn said quickly, finding her father behind their farmhouse.
As Grace approached he took a final swing and the sound of severed flesh and bone rang in his ears. He looked up, his bloody axe in one hand and the now headless rooster in the other. She paused for a moment, her eyes wide. Gracelyn had never realized how exhausted and sad her father looked. Her eyes pricked with tears as she realized now that he had murdered their final farm animal.
"Oh papa," she choked, rushing over to hug him.
He patted her back, "Don't cry my little angel. Don't cry. I'll sell the chicken tomorrow in town, and buy some seeds. Autumn is only a few weeks away but I'm sure we can get a few foods to preserve. Jeb even offered me some wheat we can make into flour."
"Papa look," she said, pulling away.
He gasped loudly, his eyes almost popped out of his head at the two dollars, "Where did you?"
