The Northern Kingdom has been at war for years.
The kingdom maybe had a strong military but waging war against two great empires at the same time was not a good idea, even his stupid general said so.
But he didn't care. A greedy king and a ruthless court, that's what they were.
Perhaps he should have instead given the money he spent on wars to his people who were suffering from famine and disease, but he did not care.
He wasn't even a good father to begin with. This man strangled his own wife because she cheated on him or at least that's what he claimed to justify what he did.
Nobody knew what was going on in his head, he was ruthless and coldhearted.
He saw his children as pawns, they were going to obey him and do what he wanted.
Indeed heartless.
Allora and Lily were non-identical twins along with one older brother who was willing to do everything for his younger sweethearts.
Their father knew that and knew how to best put it in use.
He once put a knife at Allora's neck and bruised it so that Lance would follow his order.
Lance was dead now.
Their father sent him to the war, to his death, he killed him.
He didn't want to give the crown to his son.
The only source of security was gone and so their father could do anything.
Even though Allora could never forgive him, she still did what he wanted and put herself to use.
She wanted to protect Lily.
Her little sister, who her father hated the most because she reminded him of their mother.
He would lock her in a dark room for days without food and Allora would sit outside the room listening to her muffled crying until he would have mercy and let Lily out.
Nobody could go against him.
Nobody dared.
Because a King that just follows his irrational side would do anything without regretting it or thinking twice about it.
A few days ago, their father made a peace agreement with the King of the South and in order to make the deal unbreakable they agreed on linking the families together. With that they took the only thing keeping Allora alive. Her little Lily.
Lily knew he wouldn't miss a chance to get rid of her.
Her whole world was crushing down in front of her eyes, and she felt helpless.
She was frustrated, devastated but what could she do?
It's not like she had a choice. Her father didn't even ask her, let alone tell her.
She found that out very late and on her own. Could it even get worse?
"I'm fine" that's what she told herself and believed. Because faking it was better than having this killing feeling in her heart.
"I don't even know what he looks like.
He could be a heartless monster or anything that goes this way."
But she had no say in that.
She could neither say what's on her mind nor run away.
Well, the second one could be done but what would happen to Allora.
At least marrying someone from this family or specifically the king of this kingdom would bring a lot of advantages with it.
She didn't believe in love, her mother died because of this not understandable feeling so it should be something she will never feel.
She observed the gifts she received from the great emperor of the south.
They were placed neatly at the corner of her room.
A lot of gold and diamonds as if they were buying her.
She had to admit that she was feeling expensive.
She laughed at the thought.
A knock on the door brought her out of her thought flow.
"Allora just come in, you're not that respectful normally" her voice sounded hoarse.
Allora entered the room and Lily opened her arms waiting for her sister to hug her.
That night the sisters spend the time talking, laughing and crying.
It was painful.
The wedding is in three days and Lily will make sure she spends every second with Allora.
They had to depart the next day in the morning, so she had everything packed.
The trip will take two days. Two days of hell.
___________
Ciel, the great king of the southern kingdom. The heartless, arrogant and cruel King.
Not that he cared if they called him that. At some point in his life he even forgot how to give a fuck about people's opinions. He didn't care if they were afraid of him, hated him or wanted him six feet under the ground.
He sometimes thought if they forgot how his father was. They would call him cruel as if they never knew the former king.
He was a demonic king, Ciel was honored to see that up close.
He was fifteen when he fought his first war with his father. Dead bodies, scarlet blood and painful screams were engraved in his memory.
He had to do a lot of wares after that but the first one just couldn't get out of his head.
And that didn't stop there.
His father wanted him to be a real king.
The definition of a real king in his father's vocabulary was a little different.
He wanted him to be heartless and merciless.
A real king mustn't have feelings.
Emotions and empathy were the biggest weakness a man could have.
To lock him up with a lion in a cage and look at him fighting for his life was amusing for the vicious king.
Ciel still had these scars, which reminded him of these dark days.
"Don't you actually mind marrying that girl, who you haven't seen or heard about before, I mean... I would be terrified."
The sound of his little brother's voice took him out of his thoughts.
They didn't talk with each other since ages.
Ciel was always busy, and Kian missed the time he spent with him.
"I'm not you" he let out a deep laughter and stroked Kian's head.
"It's not me who should be afraid" Ciel said and his little brother grind.
"You're right it's her that is marrying a demon."
"Now you're going too far... "his voice was cold.
Kian's smile died "I'm sorry Ciel."
"You can also be respectful... I'm seeing new sides of you" He walked to the near bar at the corner of the huge room.
He glanced at him from the corner of his eyes while purring a glass of wine.
"Tell me, how is your training going? Do you want to battle with me?" He attempted to lighten up the mood.
"Are you really going to?" sparkles shined in Kian's orbs.
Ciel felt guilty, he didn't spend time with him for so long.
Kian is like his son, and he would even give up his life for him if necessary.
A warm smile could be noticed on his lips.
"How could I decline this opportunity."
"How about we duel now" Kian sounded happy.
About to sip his drink he ordered with a gesture to the door "Go out."
"But you promised" he pouted his lips.
"Yes, that's why you're going to prepare the swords so we can start" he said with a grin.
Nothing more was to be said because the moment he finished his sentence, his brother was out of the door.
He glanced at the pile of papers that must be finished today and let out a sigh.
His right-hand Caelum would kill him, Ciel massaged his nose bridge.
A lot was on his mind. In two days is his wedding and everything is being prepared now. He was turning twenty-nine soon and he needed a crown prince as soon as possible.
For him to marry a princess from another country the nobility and the clergy must agree to it.
He had to silence many people during these three days before the wedding.
Stepping towards the balcony and raising the curtain, the rising sun hit his face strongly and it reflected to his skin, giving it a bronze color that matched the proportions of his face.
He stared at the view before him. It was a river on which the palace was built, surrounded by a row of trees with fiery, golden-yellow leaves that matched the blue of the clear sky.
A knock on the door could be heard.
"Come in" he let out.
"You came back early" Ciel said surprised as he adjusted in his seat.
Caelum bowed down and acknowledged "Your Highness."
Ciel nodded.
"How did it go."
Caelum then called in his harsh voice to the guards, who entered, placing a tightly covered bucket.
"Your Highness, I present you the Duke of Marshalo." The emperor turned his eyes to the bucket, then stood up moving forward to open it.
A head could be seen floating in water with a strong unpleasant smell.
"He refused to listen? Hmm."
"No one who questions his majesty's authority will live." Caelum repeated the words Ciel announced once.
"What does the church say about the wedding?" Ciel asked.
"They expressed no opinion."
"Good, drown them in gold. I don't want trivial opinions in the meeting room tomorrow."
Caelum - his servant and former childhood friend, was a man, that dealed with difficult tasks that require a high level of ability.
___________
Two days later, the day of the wedding
There were a lot of royalties and Asena never liked talking to them, they were the definition of corruption and looting. Just because they have estates and castles, they thought they had the right to slave the poor class. They did nothing to the country, being royal is a position not a job.
Asena hated Classism but that was not relevant now.
The King Ciel was marrying today, and politics should not be discussed.
Yesterday the future queen arrived, and nobody had seen her till now. Everybody was curious about that beauty.
The bride was standing next to Ciel with a thick vile on her face, how could she even see. Asena was sure she was never going to put that thing on her face.
Aside from that the bride looked fine, her white dress was hugging every curve.
Asena let a sigh out and Kian heard it.
"What? Are you jealous?" he said with a laugh.
"Shut up" she responded smiling at him.
White should represent the fact that she was a "pure" virgin, which was ridiculous, because she hated the idea that women should be virgin and men were free to sleep with whoever they wanted. She knew for sure that Ciel was not a virgin, he had women going in and out of his room every night. Actually, after a second thought it was disgusting thinking about that stuff.
The marriage rituals were finally ending, and it was time to take off the vile. If it lasted a little longer, she was going to take the matters into her own hands.
"Now you can kiss the bride" the clergyman said.
Slowly he took the vile off her face and there she was with her bright green eyes, coffee-brown waist-long hair, naturally pouted lips, rosy cheeks, and her glowing sun-kissed skin.
Lily was afraid, she looked everywhere but at him. Her eyes wondered over his body, he was extremely tall or maybe she thought that because she on the other hand was small in figure. But no that can't be, he seemed taller than everyone in the hall.
He was on the muscular side with wide shoulders. His hands so big, bony, and veiny with long slender fingers. He could hold her whole neck with one hand and choke her. She shivered at this thought. Would he do that? The thought frightened her.
Noticing her checking him out, the corner of his lips twitched.
She looked like a little rabbit. A sweet, frightened rabbit.
He looked at her lips and she automatically chewed on her bottom one.
He smiled leaning down to her, she closed her eyes waiting for his lips to touch hers, but it never happened. She felt them on her forehead. For some reason she felt disappointed.
Feeling embarrassed she looked around. She saw her father and sister from the distance. Allora was holding back tears not because she was happy for her, Lily knew that. Her lips trembled.
"Focus on me" the manly voice of the man next to her reminded her again of where she was.
When the rituals and blessings were over, she excused herself to go to the balcony, she needed fresh air. His black orbs followed her like a predator.
She didn't have the nerve to look at the bunch of very wealthy families. The women with heavily make-up and ugly faces who breathe in hatred and exhale in anger, and men who brag about their money and complain about their live, as if it is hard, stuffing their mouths with wine and laughing loudly.
The presence of the dukes of the kingdom, kings from other alliances, and some nobles in that vast hall, which was crowded, unlike the rest of the royal palace, was raising disgust in her.
While these men were lucky to be in a warm place provided by the best food and drinks the guards outside were spread around, so that nobody might take advantage of the emptiness of the palace.
The outside is dark and cold, Autumn in the south didn't welcome guests warmly.
And while she was immersed in her thoughts, Ciel came to the balcony and was now silently advancing towards her... a sight of a lazy smile appeared on his face. He placed his hands on the stone balcony railing, so that she became trapped in his arms... She widened her green eyes in shock, as she looked at his hands caging her. She quickly turned around to be faced by her infamous now husband Ciel. He quietly bent down to reach her level as she was short in stature now that she took off her heals.
He smiled softly at her reaction. She was frozen with shocked features on her pale small face.
Wearing all black he looked like a dark god. The god of underworld and she was his queen now.
He approached her more to make her flinch and put her trembling hands on his hard chest, trying to push him in a miserable attempt.
He was extremely close to her that she could smell him. He smelled amazing, like misty forest, so earthy. He smelled nostalgic.
She licked her bottom lip, the pace of her breathing increasing... he ignored her completely to push away the soft brown locks of her hair behind her ear, he whispered in a deep hoarse voice and that faint smile was on his face again.
"Is my wife hiding?"