CHAPTER 1- BLOOD BATH

"Imperial Year 789

Rain was pouring non-stop from past one week making the streets muddy and weather gloomy. When everyone was sitting inside their houses waiting for the rain to stop, in the middle of the neverendinv woods between Ruth and Elemare Empire , The Princess Odette Ruth was laying on the pool of blood. She saw her lover stabbing her continously without any ounch of sadness on his face. She wanted to ask,

"W-why J-J-ason?"

"Because your very existance make me feel threaten. So, for my own safety, You Have to die, My Odette."

Odette cried bitterly. The pain in her body was getting worse, till her last moment she didn't realize she loved the man who choose to stab her into her heart while ignoring the man who was ready to give his heart to her. She saw her lover walking away showing his back at her, her trembling hand tried to reach for the sword next to her. Anger and resentment, were filled in her bleeding heart. But the moment she would grab the sword, an arrow pierced through her lover's neck.

The pattern of the arrow seemed familiar and Odette realized who came for her after all. Her lover's head rolled over the ground and she didn't feel her heart clenching in pain.

"ODETTE!" She heard the familiar male voice she least expected to hear. She saw him running toward her not caring how his dress and legs were getting dirty due to the mud. The rain got worse as she felt her breathing running out.

She whispered his name, " Ethan". The man named Ethan fall on his knees and took her in his arms.

Tears were rolling down from his ruby red eyes. He held her body closely. Rain was dripping from his hair over her face. She smiled a little and touched his cheeks with trembling hands.

" Please, Please don't leave me. Ho-How w-will I-I live w-without y-you?" Words didn't come out of his lips properly as his sobbing were too heavy and painful. Odette felt her last moment coming to get any time soon. So she said words she thought she would regret if she didn't say.

" C-Can y-you n-not l-love me a-again i-if w-we meet a-again so-somewh-where?"

Ethan shook his head and kissed her hands, "How can I not love you? When you are the only sun in my life?"

Odette sobbed and hugged him with the very last strength she had.

"I am sorry, I didn't see your heart."

Ethan hugged her back and replied,

"It's okay because I got to love you, Odette."

Odette's breathing got heavy, Ethan knew she was leaving him but he wasn't ready to say goodbye to her. He held her tightly as if it would stop her from leaving him behind.

Odette clenched on his shirt. Her last words finally came out, "Love someone better this time."

Ethan felt her hands falling from his shirt and heart beating stopped. The faint warm breath of her was gone. He broke the hug and looked at her lifeless face. He smiled like a mad man,

"Odette, O-Open your e-eyes. H-hey! T-this isn't funny." There was no response. Ethan needed to accept that the woman he loved with his everything was gone but wasn't that too cruel?

What was her fault that she had to bear such unfortunate fate? He hugged her and screamed painfully. Ethan's combrades who were standing behind him couldn't hold back their tears.

"ODETTE! ODETTE! AAAAAAAA!" He screamed hugging her cold, lifeless body close to his heart. The heart which loved her only and wanted her only.

"GOD! P-please d-don't b-be so c-cruel to u-us. P-please, give me a chance. I beg, a chance to save her." He begged with his eyes crying out for her, asking for the impossible,

But was there anything called second chance in real life?

No there wasn't. He knew from his heart but refused to believe. On thay rainy day, Odette died but with her Ethan's heart was also died.

At the age of 20, the best swordmaster of the Elemare Empire lost his the one he loved for 5 years and become a monster who knew nothing called emotion. Just a man who can only slay monsters and humans."

Reading the information about the man whom I am supposed to marry I felt nothing but hopelessness.

Looking at my father who had an emotionless expression on his face, I slammed the paper on the table.

" Marquess Noah Vermuld, Are you sending your daughter to this cold blooded Grand Duke of North?" I questioned him.

My father, Noah Vermuld, One of the most trusted men of the Emperor Ajax El Elemare IV, was ordered by the Emperor to marry me off, his eldest daughter, Daliah Vermuld to the Grand Duke of North also the Second Son of The Emperor. And despite knowing everything, He gladly accepted the offer.

"You are marrying the Grand Duke, and that's final Daliah." Cold tone with nothing called emotions in them. So this is my fate after all?

A father who sees his children as tools and a husnand who is still dwelling in the memories of his past lover?

What a joke! No way I will just become an obedient wife sitting at the corner of the castle.

Either That damn Grand Duke will treat me as his wife or I will divorce him and run away.

Who cares about other thing?