"I am so sorry, baby," Xander whispered fiercely.
His arms tightened around her, holding her securely against his broad chest. "I should never have let him in the same room as you. You never have to see him again. I swear it."
Lyra rested her head...
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~Twenty years ago~
In the deepest depths of the King's compound, where evil scientists worked in secret, the air was thick with the chill of iron and forgotten things.
It was a cold, world of dark research, lined with steel cages and heavy glass jars holding wild forest creatures waiting for cruel experiments.
In the dim light near the back of the vault sat six-year-old Lyra.
Her silver-blonde hair was tangled, her simple dress smudged with dust, but her wide doe-eyes held no fear.
She knelt quietly on the stone floor, pressing her small hands against the glass jars. In one, a tiny field mouse huddled against the chill; in another, a small woodland tortoise moved slowly.
Lyra leaned in, whispering sweet, gentle words to soothe the frightened animals.
A heavy door creaked open, and the King entered with his royal delegation. Behind him walked young Xander.
Even as a child, clad in a dark gold-trimmed coat, he carried the cold, unyielding shadow of a future tyrant.
Yet as the delegation moved ahead, Xander stopped. His dark eyes locked onto the small girl sitting alone in the dirt.
Curiosity drew him forward, his heavy boots echoing against the stone until he stood directly over her. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice quiet, sharp with royal authority. "They are only test animals."
Lyra looked up, meeting the gaze of the dark prince with complete innocence.
She pointed a small finger toward the glass. "They are scared," she whispered softly. "The mouse's heart is beating so fast, and the tortoise is hiding because he misses the quiet forest. I am sitting with them so they do not feel lonely."
Xander froze. Raised in a realm where mercy was a failing and softness was destroyed, her gentle warmth struck him like a physical blow.
Looking down at her sweet, smiling face, something fierce and protective bloomed deep inside his chest.
The boy trained to be a tyrant found himself utterly enamored.
Slowly, without a word, Xander crouched down beside her in the dirt. His cold eyes softened, and he simply sat by her side, watching the animals in the glass jars together.
High above on the dark balcony, hidden within the shadows, an old gypsy woman watched the young prince lean close to the gentle girl, completely captive to her light.
The old woman suddenly gasped, pulling her dark shawl tight around her shoulders.
"Ah, it is the red thread of fate. So binding, it is so strongly intertwined that it connects these children.
x
Hi guys. Tis I, Sarah. I hope this story catches your eye. It has a lot of big twists and reveals so if you like those, please stay tuned and support my work.
