Have you ever been in love? I have.
I never even wavered. I wanted to be his heart, body, and soul.
I needed to feel him. All of him.
I was his salvation, yet he was my damnation.
___________________________________
Winter went back and forth inside her chamber, trying to stall time while she tried to devise a plan. A plan to avoid a wedding with that horrible man. Grian Harnett. He was a terrible older man from the Kelton kingdom. He was the King himself and married to three other women, and now he wanted her to become his fourth.
Winters's father had hesitated initially, but an alliance with the Keltons was essential since the Brigades became increasingly vigorous with each passing day. They were ruthless savages who plundered villages and then claimed their land.
Their numbers are increasing, and they have recently attacked The Kingdom Of Dragonfly and executed the whole royal family.
Now, they have claimed the Dragonfly's castle, threatening Winter's family as their lands are not far from theirs.
They can't hold them back for long if they come for them next. But with Kelton's hand, they stood a chance, and it was Winters's duty as a princess to form this alliance by giving her hand to Grian.
But her whole soul cried out against it. Winter was craving pure and adventurous love, where she was loved and loved.
She wanted to be equal to her husband, not in another harem of wives who fought for his attention.
She would not risk her future children's lives by fighting their other half-brothers for the throne when her husband and their father died or resigned.
Yet, it was the future she knew was standing before her if she walked down the aisle and placed her will and life in Grian's hands.
So here she was debating herself again, Winter Af Gold Coast, daughter to King Barnabas and Queen Honora Af Gold Coast.
They were the royal family of the Gold Coast Kingdom, which her family ruled for generations.
They used to be solid and undefeated on the battleground, but the last war took many of their best knights and warriors, and her father came close to losing his life.
They were weak and wounded, with little to no chance of surviving an ambush if it came to it. And Grian Harnett knew of this and sought it for his benefit.
Winter's brother, Oakley, was just a thirteen-year-old boy. He was next in line for the throne but might have yet to get his rightful turn with an almost vanquished kingdom.
Grian lurked his way into their lives and soon had everyone convinced that Winter should become his wife and, in return, he would support their kingdom when it came to it.
"Your Highness," said Thora, kneeling and entering the chambers.
"We must prepare you," she continued, but Winter couldn't move.
"I can't," Winter whispered, and Thora's eyes widened.
"But, Your Highness, you should not go against the will of the King. The marriage will take place in the morning." Winter's response was about to leave her lips when she sensed smoke burning her nose.
"Thora. Why do I smell smoke?" She breathed nervously and saw Thora's face turn pale. Winter rushed to the open window to take a look around.
"Oh no," She whispered. The fire ascended and burned the gate into the kingdom.
"Thora!" Winter shouted, "Yes, Your Highness?" Thora stammered.
"They are burning down our gate!" She shouted, and Thora gasped.
"It's time. We will all be doomed," pleaded Thora, kneeling.
"Get up!" Winter yells, and Thora rises.
The door into the chamber slammed open, and Winter's mother stood in the opening with terror in her eyes.
"Winter. There isn't much time. The Brigades are burning down our gate and will soon enter the kingdom. Your father is too sick for combat, and your brother is too young. We must leave now!" Winter's mother hurried into the room and grabbed her hands.
"We have to save ourselves," she continued as they overheard the cries of their people being slaughtered and burned to death.
"No, we can't flee like cowards," Winter announced and shook her head, "We ought to get out there and fight!"
"No, Winter. We must save our lineage," Her mother shrieked, pulling her out of the room.
"We have the carriage ready to leave near the secret passage."
"NO!" Winter roared and slapped her hands away from her.
"I will not abandon my people," Winter hissed, defying her mother, which she rarely did.
"You'll die, Winter." Her mother answered with a gruff tone.
"Then I shall die beside the people who have fought for our family for generations." Winter whistled, and her mother gasped in shock.
"But you're a woman? You can't fend for yourself?" Her mother whispered, and Winter nailed her down with her gaze.
"I am sure as hell not leaving a man to fend for my honor either or flee like a coward," Winter milled, and her mother slapped her across the face.
"You're a disgrace to our family. Stay here and burn yourselves for all I care." Her mother scuffed and left the room.
"Why did you do that, Your Highness?" Thora whispers with a shaky voice.
"I would rather die fighting for myself than be carried away, losing my free will at the hands of a man," Winter replied, and Thora took a deep breath.
"I'm scared," she murmurs, and Winter catches her hands.
"Whatever happens, Thora. So that you know, I'm grateful to have you with me all these years. You're the sister I never had. And please, will you call me Winter now? Let this be the last time I ask that of you," Thora smiled, "Yes, your h... Winter." She replied, and she squeezed her hands.
"Now, let us arm ourselves," Winter said, and they rushed through the castle and into the armory chamber.
"But we are women. We can't use these weapons," Thora said hesitantly.
"We either fight for our lives and die in combat, or we risk being raped and tortured to death. What will you choose?" Winter asked, and Thora swallowed nervously. "Combat..." She murmured upon entering the armor room.
They looked around for a weapon and soon learned that all the swords were incredibly heavy to hold and the armor even heavier.
"I didn't know it would be this heavy," Winter muttered and tried to swing the sword she was holding.
"I can barely lift this one," Thora said, and then they heard the commotion of the castle being stormed. Men's hard voices bounced around the brick walls, and they came closer.
"Come here, Thora," Winter whispered, and she pulled her into a small room hidden from sight. Thora was shaking in Winter's arms, her heartbeat racing through her chest. Winter gulped; as calm as she seemed, she was, in fact, terrified.
Sure, she wanted to fight for herself, but she knew these men would not give her a chance.
The voices got louder and louder, and soon, it sounded like they were only a few steps away.
"This will gladden King Thamus. Go fetch him!" A man's voice demanded, and she overheard the rattle from metal when someone hurried away. They kept still for what felt like an eternity until they heard the voices speak again.
"King Thamus. Look at what we found."
"Well done, Cullen. This looks to be of good quality armor. Collect it all and hand it out as we go." Winter heard them roam around the room, and the sound of metal scraping against the floor was followed by heavy thuds.
Moments later, the noise stopped, and they heard voices murmuring now.
Perhaps they had gotten away. But as Winter's hope rose, Thora was yanked from her arms.
"NO!" Winter screamed, threw herself in the way of Thora, and fought with the man on the other side.
"Back away," A cold voice said, and the man backed off. Winter pulled Thora behind her before she looked across the room. She saw three other men standing before them.
Their armor was covered in blood splatter, and their faces were striped with dirty sweat. But one of them stood out. The armor looked like solid iron, and the man was more towering and robust than the other men.
His dark, cold eyes met hers, and now emotion was seen on his face.
"Looks like the princess never made it out of the castle..." He declared mockingly, and the hair rose on Winter's neck, hearing his foreign accent.
"How did..."
"I know you were the princess? Well, you look a little neater and clean in your gown than the other girl, don't you? Your hair is washed and braided, and that necklace is worth more than thousands of peasant's lives." He milled, and Winter inhaled sharply, baffled by his audacity.
"Kill the other girl," The man said, and the two men approached them.
"NO!" Winter shouted and pulled Thora closer to her back. "Kill me instead, but spare her life."