Chapter One

Sierra's POV 

I was poisoned, and now my baby is gone.

The Healer's voice faded into the background as I stared blankly ahead. The maids stood silently in the corners of the room, their heads bowed, refusing to meet my gaze.

"Make sure you massage your stomach with warm water and a towel every three days. Also, take the herbal medicine I've prescribed, twice a day," the Healer said softly.

I nodded, barely hearing him. His face was pale, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his robes. He looked terrified… of me or the truth he was about to reveal, I couldn't tell.

"Queen Sierra," he began, his voice trembling. "I have one last thing to tell you…"

I straightened slightly, bracing myself. "Go ahead, Healer."

"The poison you ingested…" He swallowed hard, glancing at the maids as if seeking their support. "It's unlike anything we've encountered. The Seven Kingdoms are still researching it. My queen, it's… the venom of a newborn Khralix."

A Khralix. The rare, dragon-snake hybrid known for its lethal venom?

"And?" My voice sharpened. "Get to the point, Sir Heith."

What could be worse than losing my child?

"You cannot have another child, my queen."

The words hit me like a blow. My mind went blank, the room spinning as if the floor had disappeared from beneath me.

"What did you say?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"I am deeply sorry, Queen Sierra," he said, his tone heavy with regret. "The damage to your womb… it's irreversible. We tried everything, but there's nothing more we can do. My condolences."

The door burst open, slamming against the wall. 

Everyone in the room froze as King Kaelvar strode in.

"Get out!" he barked.

The maids scattered, not daring to look back. The Healer hesitated, then gave my hand a light squeeze before hurriedly gathering his tools and leaving.

The door closed shut behind him, leaving me alone with Kaelvar.

"What is the meaning of this nonsense?" he demanded, his voice thundering through the room. "Why do you always have to make a scene? Do you know how much you embarrassed me in front of the other leaders? I had to leave an important meeting because you collapsed in the garden. Explain yourself!"

"I lost the baby," I whispered, staring down at my trembling hands.

"What did you say?" He moved towards me. In an instant, his hands gripped my face, forcing me to look at him. His dark eyes glowed with fury, water rippling in the jug beside the bed as his powers seeped through his control.

"I said, I lost the baby."

The slap came before I could react. My head snapped to the side, pain radiating through my cheek as I gasped for air.

"You lost my heir?" he spat, his voice venomous. "You stupid, useless woman. All you had to do was sit still and carry my child, but even that was too much for you."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not in front of him.

The water in the shattered jug dripped onto the floor, echoing in the heavy silence.

Even after all the words he had thrown at me, after every hit that bruised my skin, I never cried. Not once.

I'd learned that my tears only fueled his anger, and like every other time, my silence enraged him the most.

The tick in his jaw and the twitch of his lips were enough to warn me of what was coming.

He was holding himself back, but not for long.

"That's fine," he spat, "You lost my child. We'll just make another one."

My stomach turned as he climbed on top of me, his weight pinning me down, His hands held me in place.

"Take off your clothes," he ordered, his tone making my chest seize with dread.

"What?" The word came out in a whisper, my voice shaking. He couldn't be serious.

"I said, take. Off. Your. Clothes."

"No... no, I can't do that," I stammered, desperation clawing at my throat. "The Healer said-"

The slap came fast, snapping my head to the side. Pain blossomed in my shoulder, sharp and hot, but it didn't stop there. Another hit. And another. My face, my stomach, my chest. His hands yanked at my hair until my scalp screamed, my body jerking under his grasp.

"This is why you lost the baby!" he snarled. "You never listen to your husband. You always disobey me."

He moved his hand to my gown and pulled it hard, tearing the silk material, from the top to the bottom.

"You will listen, and you will learn how to be a real wife."

His dark eyes were a glinting, unnatural blue now. Any trace of reason had disappeared, and his powers were fully in control. I shrank back against the bed, knowing there was no point in pleading anymore.

He was unbuttoning his shirt when the sound of a horn blared. Moments later, the door to our bedroom burst open, slamming against the wall with a thud.

"Sire. We are under attack," Stephan, his second in command, said breathlessly. His chest heaved, his face pale and slick with sweat. Even his hands trembled, something I had never seen from the seasoned warrior.

Kaelvar turned to him, his expression shifted from fury to disbelief. "What? Who dares attack us?"

"I don't know, Sire," Stephan replied, shaking his head. "The soldiers at the gate... they began dropping like flies. The barrier was breached soon after."

Kaelvar cursed, leaping off me. He adjusted his clothing, buttoning his shirt with quick, jerky movements. "Hold them off until I arrive. No one gets past the inner walls."

"Yes, Sire."

Stephan cast me a fleeting glance, pity etched across his face, before following Kaelvar out of the room. The door slammed shut behind them, and silence fell once more.

I pushed myself up against the headboard, wrapping my arms around myself. My body trembled uncontrollably. How much longer would I have to endure this?

Shivering, I grabbed the bedsheet, pulling it tightly around me to cover my exposed skin.

The silence of the room wrapped around me. Then I heard a faint sound near the window.

"Who's there?" My voice came out hoarse, trembling as much as my hands.

No answer.

I slid off the bed, my knees wobbling, the room tilting as exhaustion threatened to drop me where I stood. I leaned against the frame and peeked outside, my eyes scanning the streets below. Nothing.

A sigh escaped me, shaky but relieved. Maybe I was imagining things.

I turned back to the bed—then froze. A shadow passed across the other side of the window.

"Who is there?" My voice sharpened, louder this time, though fear tightened my throat. Again, no reply.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor, clutching the sheet tighter around me. The room felt colder and darker.

Suddenly, the windows slammed shut with a bang. Glass shattered, fragments scattering across the floor. Shadows spilt into the room, swallowing the space whole.