Luciana knew her fate was sealed—she was now the bride of a demon. As the chariot, drawn by four majestic white stallions, made its way down the rough path toward her inevitable destination, the life she had once dreamed of began to crumble. The guards requested a brief stop to rest, and they soon arrived at a small village near the border.
"Your Highness, we've reserved an inn for your stay," Irina, her knight and attendant, informed her, guiding Luciana toward the old stone-and-wood building. The village was calm and isolated, nestled near the mountains with few inhabitants. Travelers were rare in this part of the empire for reasons well known to Luciana.
Before entering the inn, a high-pitched cry caught her attention. She turned to see a small boy, no older than three, with ash-colored hair being roughly handled by a brutish man near a fruit stall. Without a second thought, Luciana rushed forward, shielding the boy just as the man's fist was about to strike. She braced herself for the impact, but instead heard a grunt behind her.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the man knocked out on the ground, surrounded by a group of hooded figures dressed in black. A tall figure with a deep, raspy voice stepped forward. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"Y-yes, I think so," Luciana replied, cradling the injured child in her arms.
"Your Highness! Princess!" Irina rushed to her side, panic evident in her voice. "Are you unharmed?"
"He's unconscious," Luciana said, gently brushing the dirt from the boy's face.
One of Luciana's guards, suspicious of the hooded men, demanded, "Who are you? How dare you approach the princess without revealing yourselves?"
"Forgive us, we are merely humble travelers from the East, seeking forgiveness from the Lord," the leader of the group responded calmly, their faces still hidden by their veils.
Luciana, not one to hold unnecessary grudges, asked, "Will you stay the night?"
"No, Princess. We must continue on our way," the man replied.
Luciana smiled politely. "Then safe travels. May the blessings of God be with you." She turned toward the inn, her guards still wary of the mysterious figures.
Inside, she prepared for a quiet night. The sky had grown dark, and the wind howled outside as clouds gathered ominously. After a bath, Luciana changed out of her wedding dress into more comfortable attire. "How is the child?" she asked as Irina brushed her hair.
"I've bathed him and provided him with clean clothes, Your Highness," Irina responded in her usual emotionless tone.
"And his injuries?"
"We've treated them with the best remedies available here."
"Thank you. You may leave and rest. It's getting cold."
With a bow, Irina excused herself, leaving Luciana alone in the small room lit only by the fire. Hearing the child moan in his sleep, she rushed to his side, holding his small hand as she hummed a lullaby. The boy's breathing calmed, and she felt herself drifting into thoughts of her sisters—Avlynn and Melody—who used to hide beneath her skirt whenever thunderstorms shook the palace.
Tears welled in her eyes. This was her final night in the land where she was born. Her chest ached with a longing she couldn't voice. "Oh, mother," she sobbed softly, "what am I going to do?"
Suddenly, the windows flew open, and the wind extinguished the fire. Startled, Luciana hurried to close them, but before she could secure them, the door to her room burst open. Three men stormed in.
Luciana screamed, her voice piercing through the raging storm. One of the intruders shouted, "Cover your ears!" But it was too late—his companion fell to the ground, seemingly paralyzed by the sound.
Terrified, Luciana stumbled backward. "Who are you?" she cried, coughing violently, her body trembling with fear.
"You don't need to know," the tallest of the men responded coldly, advancing toward her. Before she could scream again, he pressed something to her neck, and Luciana's vision blurred. Darkness overtook her as she collapsed into his arms.
The man, now holding Luciana's limp body, removed his mask, revealing eyes as dark as the night. "My lord! We heard a scream," the hooded men rushed into the room, looking at their fallen comrade in shock.
The leader's fierce gaze silenced them. "Have you taken care of everything?" he asked, his voice low.
"Yes, my lord. The inn's staff and anyone who witnessed us have been eliminated."
"Dispose of the bodies. Feed them to the wild fiends," he commanded, his tone devoid of emotion. "And take the boy with us. He'll be buried on sacred ground."
As they left the inn, the storm outside intensified. Luciana, still unconscious, was carefully placed into a wagon alongside the boy. One of the men voiced his concern. "What if she wakes up, Commander?"
"She won't wake up anytime soon," the leader replied confidently. "We'll pass through the Forest of Thorns in two days. Until then, we keep moving."
With the ominous clouds swirling overhead and thunder rumbling in the distance, the wagon rolled away, carrying the bride of the demon and her uncertain fate into the darkness.