Zorya is a wild and a beautiful, pagan princess who loves spending time in the depths of her forest, side by side with her wolf, becoming one with a nature.
Darius is a cruel, and dark Christian King, feared by many, with a tragic fate, who comes t...
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"Hey Kreshnik, do you know what is Rusalka?" Zorya gently asked her wolf. Zorya was sitting down leaned to the wall in her cell, caressing the fur of her wolf, and he was licking her wounds that she gotten in the battle. Zorya wasn't bleeding much, but she finally allowed herself to feel the pain, that was consuming her body.
"Rusalkas are a spirits of a woman who drowned due to their misfortune. They were either drowned on their wedding day, or might even been drowned by her abusive and cruel lovers or husbands. Some of them committed suicide by jumping in the river to save their tender souls from the violence and shame they went through if they carried the child of the wicked man that dared to rape them. Rusalkas remain undead and they live in rivers, or on the trees, becoming the most enchanting spirits of the forest. But it is said that Rusalkas are most beautiful creatures that ever existed and that their voice is magnificent." Zorya continued to speak and her wolf just watched her curiously, like he understood everything that she was saying.
"Her main purpose is, however, to lure young men, seduced by either her looks or her voice, into the depths of said waterways where she would brutally kill them. When I die, I wish to become one of them, to be the undead spirit of the forest, that way we would always stay together my loyal friend. Water never scared me but the fire if frightening and I would rather die than allow Boris to burn me alive while my parents are watching. But I have no weapon with me and I know you would never even hurt me or kill me..." Zorya spoke as she continued to caress her wolf who snuggled to her body keeping it warm.
It wasn't long until the guards came for Zorya, she was already unsure if she was dead or alive as her body simply had no strength to fight.
"It is time my princess...I apologize for this..." The guard said.
"If they kill my wolf, make it a quick death." Zorya said walking out from the cell and leaving Kreshnik locked inside.
Zorya felt that her own legs were betraying her, but soon everything is going to be over, her soul will be free from the cage she called body and she will not have to be so afraid anymore.
But still, Zorya trembled with fear.
"No!!! Don't do this!!! Leave my daughter alone!!! She is not a traitor!!! Please don't Boris!!! I am begging you!!!" Mira was screaming as she was breaking in pain.
"Mum..." Zorya whispered feeling tears in her eyes.
She never wanted to be murdered in front of her, no...
"Silence! The traitor must pay for what she had done! I am the King and I made a decision! She will burn alive!" Boris said.
"Son...You are making a mistake...This will destroy you, you can't carry this sin." Vadim tried speaking to his son.
Zorya managed to climb to the wooden stake where the wood was already prepared for burning her body, she was silent, she could not stand watching this anymore and the sorrow it caused her to feel, she couldn't stand the fear, she just wanted this to end already.
"I am not afraid." Zorya suddenly said causing everyone to become quiet and look at the pagan princess.
"My beautiful daughter...: Mira said as the tears poured from her eyes. She then kneeled in front of her, soon a lot of people followed bending their knee to the pagan princess that was so fearlessly waiting for her tragic fate.
"What are you doing?! She is not a Queen! She is a traitor! Tie her up!" Boris yelled in anger as some of his man came and tied her body to the stake.
"You will now burn for your sins, is there any last words you would like to say?" Boris asked.
Without even thinking, Zorya answered him, telling him the words that made him even more angry.
"I forgive you."
"Die!" Boris yelled as he tried to burn his own sister down.
But he was stopped before he could cause her any harm.
People of Walnia suddenly attacked Gora Nevskaya, with King Darius the Dark leading them, maybe he was sent by the gods to rescue her from her own brother, maybe he was the one that would give her life, or at least an honorable death.
"Prepare your weapon now! We are under attack!" Boris panicked taking an axe in his hands.
"Those who can fight stand by me, and those who cannot, hide in your homes!" Boris ordered. Everyone were running around trying to hide themselves from the Christians who entered so violently into their lands.
Zorya tried to keep her eyes open, shivering from the coldness that was taking her over.
"Darius..." Zorya tried calling his name as loud as her voice was allowing her to, she called it louder and louder, she needed him to find her.
"I am here princes." Darius said and started untying the ropes that were holding her.
"Are you going to kill me now?" Zorya asked.
"You fool, I am not going to do that." Darius said.
Zorya was trying to stand on her trembling feet but her body refused to balance itself, it was too exhausted, too wounded for that. Darius took her body in his strong arms, she was so fragile, covered with blood, that it made him almost afraid that he could break her.
"I need to take Kreshnik...They will kill him..." Zorya said.
"Is that your beast?" Darius asked.
"That is my wolf." Zorya was able to answer before everything went black for her.
