A surprise

When she opened her eyes, she found him staring at her. Had he been watching her while she was sleeping? It was so embarrassing.

"We're close to a village," he said, his voice low but steady. "We'll stay the night there. You need to change out of that dress."

Ren nodded, the thought of shedding the confining fabric was almost a relief to her heart. The dress was more than just uncomfortable; it was a barrier. If, as he suggested, danger was lurking in the shadows, she'd be trapped in her dress, ridiculously. Running would be impossible.

She turned her gaze to the carriage window. The blackness outside stretched endlessly, swallowing everything in its path. No lights, no movement. Just the oppressive silence of the night pressing in.

To her surprise, there were no guards, no other horses. She had expected at least one companion on the road, yet all she saw was the solitude of their journey.

She wanted to ask, but something held her back. The question felt too raw, too direct. Still, the gnawing sense of unease at the pit of her stomach pushed her toward it to ask.

"I believe you had some companions with you back then?" She was sure there had been around ten shifters with the prince when they left Jaigara, but none of them could be seen now.

"They don't ride horses. Have you ever seen a wolf on horseback?"

No, she hadn't. And she didn't want to see how they shed their skin and shifted into beasts. The thought alone was terrifying, and she couldn't even imagine it. Nervousness brewed in the pit of her stomach again. She was trying to stay calm and get along, but every time something new popped up to shock her.

She must be more bold, for the sake of this union.

But what, truly, was the purpose of this union? To forge a strength vast enough to repel the looming threat from beyond the Ice Lands. Nineteen years ago, King Benkin began his relentless campaign, toppling one enemy after another. He assembled a fearsome army, training them into instruments of destruction, and overthrew powerful kings. The lands were soaked in blood, and countless people were displaced, and forced into exile.

Yet, in the wake of his conquests, he proclaimed himself the King of Kings, setting about the restoration of cities and providing new homes for the displaced. The kings who opposed him were slain, and from among the royals who remained, he handpicked those he trusted—men and women whose loyalty he believed would never falter. Those who would never dare to defy him.

Years passed, and with each victory, King Benkin garnered both admiration and confusion. To some, he was a tyrant, a ruthless conqueror whose actions knew no mercy. To others, he was a savior, for under his reign, poverty had dwindled, and prosperity had begun to bloom. His cold demeanor and unyielding appearance fueled the imaginations of storytellers across the world, who had been weaving tales of him: The Ageless King, The Demon King, Son of the Gods, and countless others.

Yet, neither truly understood the depth of his darkest secrets, nor the true forces that had shaped him into the cold-hearted, unyielding man he had become. To them, he was merely a perfectionist, a shady attribute that, while unsettling at times, could not be wholly deemed negative. However, that perception would shift the moment his anger was stirred, he would turn into a demon. For beneath the façade of authority, he was a possessive man, and none dared to touch what he had claimed as his own.

Meanwhile, the mysterious King of Alvonia had strange links to the Fae lands in the western continent. No one knew how or why, but it was apparent he hated them. No one was that brave to uncover the truth behind this mystery, not even Ren, who was desperate to understand why he despised them so much.

After years of attempts, the calm, disciplined world he sought to govern now faced a new, unknown menace. They were strange creatures that rose from death, driven by a thirst for blood. At first, his informants from Iceland sent crows to Jaigara, bringing word of scrawny creatures with large fangs and red eyes that appeared at night or on cloudy days, they fed on blood and slaughtered entire herds of cattle.

The King sent two of his inspector knights, accompanied by a legion of mighty soldiers, to handle the situation. However, the news that followed their arrival was startling. Havoc had fallen upon two villages. In one, the entire village had been slaughtered overnight, and the governor was burning the bodies. In the other, there were no traces, no animals, no corpses—nothing at all. The entire village had vanished as if a wicked blizzard had swept them off the ground.

The war had begun two years ago, and King Benkin's procession had been meager and slow. He had lost many men, while his enemy's army only grew larger. Then, one day, a knight who had been turned into a Lord vampire returned to him. He revealed everything to the King before setting himself on fire, as the first rays of the sun rose, determined to end his life before he could harm his family.

His last words were, "He calls himself the Vampire King. He wants your Ruby Throne to rule us all. Protect our people, or we are all doomed. Protect my son."

And with that, he burned to ash in the King's hands. His sacrifice allowed the King to better understand his enemy and uncover their weakness. Ren heard it all from her brother who was retelling what he saw while fear consumed him.

Therefore, the King of Alvonia and the Seven Kingdoms set aside his pride and wrote to the Prince of Thegara. He sought aid from all species, except the Fae King, despite knowing the latter would not withhold help from humans in such a crucial matter.

Ren could still recall the King's stern instructions when he locked her up. He did not trust this mysterious prince, who was revealed to be the outcast son of the Fae King, and feared that he might deceive them. Her task was clear: she had to keep her full attention on him during the war.

*

"May I ask a question?"

Ren asked politely.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Why did you take me as your bride?"

Why, in all the heavens, did she have to ask this question? He hadn't practiced this. He had promised himself he would remain indifferent, but from the moment he saw her, everything had taken an unexpected turn.

She raised her left hand, revealing the magic blocker.

"Well, we don't condemn those who possess unnatural powers."

Was that even an excuse? She wasn't convinced at all. He had merely dodged the question.

"I have no control over it, and this bracelet can slowly kill me," she explained.

Kai frowned. No one had mentioned such a critical matter, not the King, nor that maiden he questioned.

"How do I know you're not playing a trick on me?"

"I'm not. I'm a physician's apprentice. My alchemy master told me that during the war with the sorcerers, they created this. It contains cobalt, which can kill a sorcerer within weeks. His Majesty knew this."

The lines on Kaisun's forehead deepened. He didn't want to trust her so easily, but he tried to take it off when she was asleep and failed. He had to find a way. He didn't feel good about it.

"You have two weeks, then. Prove to me that you're trustworthy, and I'll take it off," he blurted out, unwilling to reveal his true intentions. He needed to find a way on his own.

As soon as she opened her mouth to explain that she was allergic to cobalt, he raised his hand and silenced her.

"Quiet!"

She slouched, disheartened. He didn't like her. Perhaps he didn't even want to hear her voice.

Lost in her miserable thoughts, she was startled when the carriage jolted violently, breaking her train of thought.

A loud bang shattered the stillness of the night. Ren's body lurched as the carriage tilted dangerously, the world spinning around her. She tried to grip the seat but failed, her breath hitching in panic. Resigned to her fate, she closed her eyes, bracing for the bone-shattering impact that never came.

Instead, she was met with the familiar scent of sandalwood. Kaisun's strong arms enveloped her, holding her securely and pulling her tightly against his chest. His movements were swift and decisive, a shield against the chaos that had erupted mere moments ago.

And then, everything fell silent once more.

He carried her out of the carriage, the weight of danger hanging heavily in the air. The broken carriage wheel came into view, the loud snap still echoing in their ears. It had caused the vehicle to tilt, the cabin leaning precariously to one side, its frame creaking under the pressure.

Ren blinked, not daring to look around, her fingers clenched tightly around his coat.

The forest surrounding them was dense with ancient trees, the air damp with the scent of muddy earth. The moon was barely visible, a faint silver coin peeking through the thick canopy, but Kaisun didn't need the light. He could see everything clearly, his eyes glowing like twin suns.

When she finally looked up, his gaze ensnared her. Her heart pounded wildly against her chest at the sight of him. How could he be so beautiful? 

She was a fool, it wasn't the right time to be intrigued. She was about to die a moment ago.

She loved how he held her, his body steady and unyielding, exuding a quiet grace that spoke volumes. His warmth was a subtle reassurance that, despite the unnatural stillness, the broken wheel, and the tension in the air, he would protect her from whatever threat loomed.

But why? He had admitted just moments ago that he didn't care about her short life span. His actions were puzzling, and his words even more so. She was confused and scared at the same time.

Kaisun held her tightly. There would be no hesitation, no lingering. He would ensure she was safe, no matter what the night had in store. She had to stay alive. This girl was the key to his freedom.

As for the cursed bracelet, he had tried to remove it while she was asleep, but it burned so intensely that even he couldn't endure it. The searing mark it left on his hand took ten minutes to heal, and he had to stifle his cries of pain to avoid waking her.

His attention moved back to the horses. They were whining and pawing at the ground restlessly, and soon they broke free. The coachman failed to stop them from running away.

"Can you hear anything?" he asked the coachman, who was one of his fellows—an elderly shifter with gray hair and icy eyes.

"No, Your Highness. That's strange. I can't even hear the faint chirp of a cricket."

The two men exchanged wary glances.

"Bring my sword!" the prince demanded.

Ren was shocked. His sword? Why? Wasn't he a werewolf? They didn't fight with swords, as they didn't ride horses. But there was no time to ask when a thudding sound shook the ground, and a gigantic figure rose from the dark. Ren stifled a shriek as she saw those two topaz green eyes meet hers. Two sharp horns glinted like silver. And when its red face became clear, she felt her bowels twist. It was a demon.

"Give me the witch!" The hoarse voice cracked like ice, making the girl shudder.

Kaisun gently put the girl down near the fallen tree, brushing a stray lock of her hair away from her face. "Don't be scared, Doe-eyes!"

She nodded mutely.

"Good girl!"

She watched him give her a seductive grin before turning around to take his sword from the old man and unsheathing it. The blade blazed like the glowing moon in the sanctuary.

"I'm the Alpha King of Thegara. How dare you order me?"

"Give me the witch!" the beast repeated, coming forward with loud thuds of its feet.

"You can't take what is mine." Without hesitation, he attacked the demon, his expression hardened, so determined to bring hell down upon those who would harm her.