1 Prologue

"Roman."

I spat his name out along with a mouthful of blood. His sword was lodged deep into my abdomen, making intense waves of pain shudder throughout my body.

Why had things ended up this way? I looked to the side, seeing my proud father, dead and slaughtered in the corner. Next to him laid my gentle mother, her hair stained with blood and her gown torn.

His eyes, which I had remembered as soft and warm, were cold and hard as he looked upon me. I reached out my hand, fingers slick with blood, and rested it upon the side of his face. Why had he done this? Why had he ruined something so beautiful? Why did he have to make my heart ache the way it did now?

"I never should have married you." I swallowed down another mouthful of blood. "I never should have loved you." My eyes glistened with tears. If only I could go back in time and change it. Even if it cost a thousand lifetimes, I would give everything up to do this again.

His eyes widened as my hand fell and everything turned black.