Wedding or Sacrifice

Confined to her quarters deep within the palace walls, Luciana held fast to her silent protest, refusing food or drink. Zavaikal, ever watchful, visited sporadically, issuing cold threats to break her defiance. A week crept by in silent defiance; her only company, the servants who brought fresh garments, were forbidden to speak or offer assistance.

Each failed attempt at escape served as a harsh reminder of the relentless vigilance of her captors. While demi-humans might have been easier to evade, these pureblood demons were acutely attuned to the energy she radiated, tracking her with unnerving precision. Outside her window, the bright, crimson spider lilies in full bloom stretched across the landscape, a bittersweet reminder of the massacre looming ahead.

One morning, a servant entered and announced an unexpected audience with the crown prince. Her confusion deepened—this was not one of his routine visits, where he'd press her to accept his ominous proposal of marriage, or threaten her with sacrifice alongside her children if she refused. Though she asked the servant why, her query was met with the usual silence. Resigned, she followed them down the winding corridors toward his study.

The door stood slightly ajar. As she drew nearer, the low murmur of voices drifted through.

"Good," Zavaikal's voice held a tone of finality. "We'll begin the ritual tonight."

Luciana's heart thudded painfully. What does he mean? Her mind tumbled through possibilities, each one darker than the last.

"Let her in," Zavaikal commanded, sensing her arrival.

The servant ushered her into the lavishly appointed room, its deep red walls adorned with intricate artwork and elaborate sconces casting flickers of light and shadow. Zavaikal watched her enter, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Well?" His voice was unyielding. "Have you made your decision? Accept my proposal, or face the sacrifice."

Her lips tightened as she met his gaze. "Why would you wish to marry a woman who's neither divorced nor widowed?"

"Hmm," he smirked, feigning indifference. "Shall I assume the latter, then?" At his signal, a servant brought in Nemesis, her son.

"Mama?" the boy's voice trembled, though his eyes softened at the sight of her, as if searching for the comfort he knew only she could provide.

So this is his plan—using my son against me. Her fists clenched at her sides, yet she dared not show her fury.

"The choice is yours," he intoned, his tone as sure and immovable as stone.

With a victorious gleam in his eye, he waited as her resistance unraveled. The words she despised hovered at her lips, and reluctantly, she surrendered. "I… will accept."

The words tasted bitter, like a forbidden spell, each syllable tightening her throat.

Zavaikal's smile grew, and with a single clap of his hands, servants escorted her back to prepare her for the ceremony. Her steps grew heavier with every corridor they passed, as if the weight of her decision pulled her downward.

In the dressing room, they began their work, layers of makeup and jewelry foreign to her face, red gems and black silks cloaking her like a stranger. She felt nothing, no tear or resistance, only a hollow acceptance. Love had no place in her contract with Erebus; he had forfeited her loyalty the moment he broke his vow.

When the preparations were complete, she caught her reflection in the mirror. The bold makeup, the gleaming jewels, and the heavy black wedding dress were all foreign to her. Erebus, at least, had once allowed her the dignity of choice in such matters, offering her autonomy where he could.

Her eyes drifted downward to her belly, swollen and unmistakable beneath the many layers meant to obscure it. The dress's voluminous fabric only accentuated her condition, a reminder of the vulnerability of her unborn child which she carried. She was cloaked in a costume, a lie bound to a fate she had not chosen, led forward by a force stronger than her will.

Zavaikal who was dressed in his formal wear entered the chambers where she sat with one hand on her stomach.

She did not look at him. Looking at him subconsciously reminded of Erebus.

"It's time." He extended his hand which she refused and got up. He retracted his hand and walked beside her.

She kept her distance from him as they walked outside of the palace. The carriage awaited their arrival was ready to take them to their destination.

Nemesis was brought along with the servant in charge of watching over the boy.

They boarded the carriage and it picked up speed slowly.

"Once you wed me, the marriage contract with my brother will be terminated. So don't think of anything stupid if you want me to behead him infront of you and that kid."

She did not respond with anything. She lifelessly looked out of the window. Nemesis was in the other carriage.

The crowd was applauding for his wedding and cheers arose from all corners of the Central Capital. She felt her stomach churning with unease.

The soldiers on their garrons rode beside the carriage fending off the cheering crowd.

But she knew why they were there.

After a while the carriage stopped and the footman opened the carriage door.

Zavaikal stood up and leaned forward and spoke in a low whisper.

" Better follow my instructions." It was a clear warning to not disobey him.

He got off the carriage and once more extended his hand offering her as a support to get off the carriage.

She reluctantly took his hand and got off the carriage that was magnificently ornated with blood roses, red spider lilies and skeletal flowers.

Certainly, here's a more polished and nuanced version with a smoother pacing:

---

As Zavaikal and Luciana entered the darkened chamber, Vlad's voice reverberated through the stone walls, cold and commanding.

"My heir. You have finally succeeded me."

The Tzar advanced to greet them, his gaze locking onto Luciana with a chilling intensity, as though he regarded her as prey.

"I am unworthy of such noble praise, my lord," Zavaikal responded, his tone measured and formal. He inclined his head in a bow, prompting Luciana with a quick glance to follow his lead. Reluctantly, she mirrored him, bowing as her eyes strayed briefly to Nemesis, who lingered a few steps away, watching with silent scrutiny.

They continued deeper into the mountain, moving toward the grand hall where the ceremony was to be held. As they approached, the assembled nobles of the empire rose in unison, a gesture of respect to their Tzar.

"Look around you," Zavaikal murmured to Luciana, his voice low.

She lifted her gaze, her eyes tracing over the faces of the nobles. Pride and self-importance gleamed in their expressions, each one emboldened by the power they served.

"When you marry me," Zavaikal continued in a whisper meant only for her, "you will become the crowned princess. As my wife, you will stand above all of them. None will dare to look down on us."

But Luciana's stomach twisted at his words. This was not the life she had ever wanted, nor the fate she had chosen.

As though sensing her hesitation, his tone turned dark, a subtle threat laced within his words. "But should you disobey me…" His voice lowered, carrying an edge that sent an involuntary shiver through her.

"Now, look to your left," he instructed, his tone chillingly casual. "A small gift I arranged just for you."

They halted in the heart of the vast underground chamber, and as Luciana turned her head as directed, her breath caught. Horror gripped her as she took in the sight before her.

There, bound and broken, was Erebus—her estranged husband, now a mere shadow of the man she once knew. His battered form slumped against chains, his face bloodied, his body marked with bruises and fresh wounds. He was shackled alongside a line of other condemned prisoners, those selected for sacrifice in the ceremony's final, brutal rite.

"Yes…" Zavaikal's voice held a sickening satisfaction. "My own flesh and blood who dared to betray me. And soon… he will be your former husband."

Luciana's entire frame trembled, her horror only deepening as she fully comprehended his intentions.

This was to be a sacrifice— a ritual of retribution and power. The demons were winning and she helplessly watched her people getting sacrificed with the unavoidable bloodshed. And Erebus, stripped off all his dignity and title was about to be offered as a sacrifice in her place.