The Winter Demon| Cursed Fanfic

Prologue

She loved him.

But not the way a wife shall love her husband, but a fondness that is shared amongst friends. A bond, so strong that if one of them had too, they would sacrifice their life for the other. In the end, she knew that he did not feel the same. He loved her, no he loves her even when death had come knocking at their door. At the fresh age of nineteen, she'd been betrothed to her friend against her will, he knew where she stood in that decision. She remembered his words as if they were spoken the day before.

Ah, cheer up Eleanor. At least you had not been promised to a stinky old stranger, but instead to a young handsome man.

He had not rushed her when it came to making the marriage official, he was gentle and kind. In a short time, they'd been married, they acted as they always did. He yearned for more in the marriage, but respected the boundaries that had been made. She soon found out in a month that she was with child. Before she knew it she'd given birth to a healthy baby girl. The two named her Lisa, a name that Eleanor seen fit for the baby.

That did not matter anymore. In the future if her husband and daughter's name would ever fall from her lips. It would remind her the names that she spoke were dead. Slaughtered only because they were not human, it revolted Eleanor to know that mankind killed her family, the only reason being they felt threatened by a gentleman who had been looking after his newborn daughter. While his wife had gone off to look for herbs and firewood. It was only when she heard Nick's angered shouts from where she stood in the trees not too far from their cabin.

That she knew something was wrong. Even Raphael, her most trusted companion, a raven, sat perched on her shoulder was alarmed. He knew exactly what she would ask him to do before being told, and flew off ahead of her as she ran.

Eleanor had heard rumors and stories that the Red Paladins were burning down Fey villages and burning the people on wooden crosses. She had mentioned this to her now-husband but Nick knew about her thirst for travel and had decided to help her drink up all the sights she saw. He swore that he would protect her. But once they found out she was pregnant they had already traveled far from home and decided to settle down in a man-made village. In hopes of maybe keeping their fey abilities hidden for a few years and someday show their child the wonders of the world. But, that shall never happen now.

When she finally made it outside of the wood, her husband's screaming had come to a stop, filling the air with an agonizing silence that sent chills down her back. The woman's heart began to beat rapidly when she saw a man in red robes exit her home and another who she assumed to be his partner. They were laughing as if they were reminiscing about a recent friendly gathering.

Red Paladins.

They were hard to miss, she stopped a sob from escaping her throat when she caught the sight of blood on their hands. It was like they'd purposefully dipped them into dark crimson paint, but she knew it was not. It felt like hours before they disappeared on their horses.

She was getting ready to launch herself from behind the tree she hid behind, but was stopped.

El, I do not think you wish to see what lays in there. The deep voice of her raven's seeps into her head. The girl bats her hand at the flying bird and runs past him ignoring warning. Eleanor please!

The air stung her lungs as she ran towards the open door, and she did not stop the painstaking wail that fell from her mouth when confronted by a horrifying sight.