Love That's Lost

"Unfair is, what it is." Her voice charged with her woes, resonated the hall. With glided surface and pristine white pillars, the Throne Hall glistened in the elegance it was worthy of. "You might as well send me to the gallows!"

With gold and white texture embellishment like its residents, the place was also giving off a gloomy vibe. The King reeled back with a gritted jaw, turning his face away, "You're my daughter but you're a Princess with duties of this Nation first—"

"I'm a human with a life that you are depriving me of, first!" In desperation, she let loose of all the decorum that was drilled in her bones and screeched.

The King gave her a stern look before executing a heavy sigh. The man on the throne declared, "In two days period you are to be espoused, till then you can wail all you want, but on the wedding day, you will smile for your husband!"

"My barbaric murderer of a husband, you mean!" She snapped as her tears let loose.

The throne room was empty except for these two. Here, he wasn't a King and she wasn't a princess, but only the relation of father and daughter prevailed.

Her father pursed his lips and looked away. A sob broke out of her lips and she fell to her knees, the heavy gown cushioned her fall. "Father." She brought her hands together to beg, "You promised my mother on her deathbed you would protect me. Please!" Her voice broke but she was past caring for her appearance.

The King's eyes momentarily softened before a resolve set in, "My child, Laylin, the sky bear witness, I haven't loved any child of mine more but I'm left with no choice."

His proclamation didn't lessen her wails but fueled them, "I promise to send a glorious dowry with you that Kingdoms will envy, bestow upon you the title, state, and property of Elysvine but this marriage is a tribute our family must pay for a strengthened alliance. Else we shall all perish under the brutal force of Rabkhar."

A glorious dowry? A funeral procession, is what he's sending!

Her bloodshot eyes met with his guilt-ridden once. He had never looked so small in his big throne but he was a helpless father, "Yes, you don't love anyone more than me then why does it have to be ME amd not any other daughter of yours?" She was past all compassion, the only thought that swirled in her head was to save her own skin.

Her father gazed down at her hopeful begging stare, that face that resembled his dead Queen. He had to send her away. Ocean deep eyes, rich copper hair, and pale skin flushed with scarlet tint. "It is a coup, Sweetheart. The new King is heard to be ruthless who grew up in a harsh dictatorship. Previously a General, your sisters are dupes, inconsiderate and unopinionated. Such men don't fend well with foolish indulgent women."

He was making her qualities to appear like the cause of her fall! He could do a lot in his position, he just didn't want to. It was obvious. But she couldn't understand why.

Running a hand down his beard and he shook his head, "Child, the court demands this of me. The tales of your beauty and intelligence had reached past Empires. If we offer anything other than the peerless, it's sure to be taken in as an insult by the new King. What I want is—"

"Get rid of me, is what you want! They already are a species of monsters that had made a sport to tear our flesh apart and he's something even his own kind is scared of!" She hiccupped and rubbed the back of her palm on her tear-stained face, "He's not even a legitimate royal successor. Why do we have to abide by the treaty?"

The abhorrent treaty was set centuries ago, whenever a new King took over in Rabkhar, the Lycan and Werewolf's Kingdom, a bride from Ehan, the human Kingdom's Royal household is to be sent to them as a tribute to the King's Harem. In return, the Alpha King would spare the Kingdom citizen.

Other than Ehan every other Kingdom were either majorly populated by Werewolves or were ruled by them. All under the rule of the fallen Royal Family of Rabkhar and human maidens and young men were bought and kidnapped to be enslaved in these territories.

The Beasts lived in close society circles called Packs, they relied on their own kind so naturally human fell in the inferior of roles. It made Ehan the safest place for human to be but it was no more safe in itself.

The Royal Lycan Family was dead, fled or was imprisoned. The new Lycan King had taken over but how could you expect a rogue who brutally murder his own kind just to be King to honor an agreement? The thoughts unsettled her further.

"This is why we must. He has just taken over the Kingdom, he is hot-blooded, savage and an unpredictable brute, Ehan is the only Human Kingdom, helpless against the beasts. This could be our only saving grace against—"

"So, I'm your cannon fodder, you are willing to—"

"Laylin, enough! No more insolence!"

Insolence? He knows if he was sending her, she wasn't returning alive!

Hearing the stern voice of her father Laylin's eyes pooled in another wave of anguish, "Father, please I-I-" She wanted to shout her protest but was bound.

He cut her before her wail could form an entity, "Don't start with your rascality! You are becoming the bride of a King. There's no better honor! You have eaten the bread and salt of this land it's time to give back. You asked for it!"

The young wilted flower deserted on the floor, couldn't comprehend anything but her hazed mind conjured a blow of retort, her clear mind would never muster.

"You…You never asked me what I wanted! I have always obeyed you, Father, but I..." She choked on her sob with tears flowing, washing away the memoir of her helplessness. She sat there resolute yet deflated.

In a stern voice, he queried coldly, "You have always obeyed me?"

Her electric blues eyes charged at the man she had honored all her life, only to end up a disgrace the first time she asked for a breath of fresh free air. In her lavish taffeta dress, she felt like the cheapest woman on the planet—a woman with a price.

Then without waiting for her reply he rebuked furiously, "Then obey me once more! He is a King of the biggest and strongest Nation. He will provide well for you. What else do you want?! The world is stumbling on their feet just to get a look at him!"

A man in question will only provide a lifetime of ridicule and torture for her that is if he kept her alive. He was a monster and she'll be nothing but live-stock for him and one day he will drain her of blood or tear her to shraeds to the inch of her life. In her 19 years of life, Dukes and Princes had asked for her hand both human and beasts.

The day she was born, her beauty and prosperous Destiny were proclaimed by seers. Many came but all were turned away only because she yearned for a man her heart called out to, whose valor and honor was renown on the lands. A man who would whisk her away with the sunset but this turned out to be her Destiny.

The man was the ex-General who took over, slaughtering half of the army and the Royal Family just to sate his greed for power; cunningness, cruelty, treacherousness in his disposition was embedded as nature! How could he be anything but her ruin?

"I don't love him, I don't even like him! He is nothing but my ruin, I don't wish an opulent life... Father, I... I want to find love, no matter if he is not all of these things you have listed..." She pleaded her case for the last time.

The man's face turned scarlet in rage and he threw a hand on the handrest, making her flinch, "Laylin! If you don't marry him, then consider your homeland dead for you." He didn't stay for any further comment as the conversation for him was already over. He walked out in angry strides with his robe trailing behind him, leaving a lament Princess behind.

Her jaw clenched, and her heart burned. He had walked right over her heart. Nothing in all years of life had ever been her choice. From her on-point dressing to every syllable that leaked from her painted lips, nothing was her own.

Seconds felt like hours, it was obvious he wasn't coming back but her heart yearned he would. Not because of affection that was an entity of words but her yearning heart that thumped harder every time thinking of the life that awaited her.

She detested this place but it was the only home she knew. All her life, she had struggled for lumps and morsels just to keep her dignity. She didn't have her mother to fight her battles, comfort her in days she would weep, like her siblings. Her dream was to find a home but she is was sent to her death instead.

She stood up on wobbly legs and stumbled a step because of the soreness of kneeling for too long. A frustrated huff left her but she just threw the veil down. As the tradition was for to-be brides in her Kingdom. She barely walked out and a maid from her entourage leaped forward griping her hand to guide her.

The maid hesitated then began, "Royal Princess—"

"To my Chamber, just take me to my Chamber." She cut her off barely able to keep hold of her emotions. Her legs were numb and walking prickled her legs but she just needed the confinement of her room to drown it all out.

Her father was her only hope but like always he bailed out on her. She was the eldest of his children and the only child he had with his Queen.

He was sending her to Rabkhar, the Kingdom of Beasts. The fear of the unknown churned her stomach. No one who went there ever came back, the stories that were heard were gruesome and true.

Wherever they passed, the whole palace was in disarray and chaos with the preparation of the wedding when there was going to be no wedding tomorrow.

Just some ambassadors as representatives that will come to take her, a tribute away. Her groom may not even show up which will be another humiliation to add to the list.

As they were passing the Princesses' Wing the chattering came to a hush, all Princesses eyes fell on Laylin.