Chapter 7: The Defeat

Princess Maria was taken aback by the memory, remembering how Prince Kyrian had come and kidnapped her, only to be defeated by his stepfather, Duke Setsomer, and his guard. She recalled how Kyrian had promised to exact revenge on her." On the fateful night, Princess Maria was sitting in her personal garden.

The moon cast its silver glow over the Duke's estate, illuminating the manicured gardens and the tranquil fountain. But the peaceful atmosphere was shattered by the sound of clashing steel and muffled cries.

In the courtyard, Prince Kyrian, fought fiercely against the Duke's guards. His sword flashed in the moonlight as he battled to reach his target: Princess Maria. And get a hold of him

Just as he overpowered the last guard, a figure emerged from the shadows. Duke Setsomer, Maria's stepfather, drew his sword and confronted the Prince Kyrian.

"You'll never take her away from us," the Duke growled, his voice steady and determined.

Prince Kyrian sneered. "You're no match for me, old man."

Their blades clashed in a flurry of movement, the sound echoing through the courtyard. But the Duke's skill and experience soon gained the upper hand. With a final blow, he struck the Prince Kyrian's sword from his hand, and the imposter fell to the ground, defeated.

As the guards closed in to take him away, the Prince Kyrian glared up at the Duke with a mixture of anger and humiliation. "This isn't over," he snarled.

The Duke stood tall, his chest heaving with exertion. "I'll make sure it is," he replied, his voice cold and resolute.

The sound of clashing steel and the Prince Kyrian's defeat still echoed in Maria's mind as she watched him being dragged away by the guards. But even in defeat, his eyes never left hers, filled with a menacing intensity that made her shiver.

"You haven't seen the last of me, Princess," he spat, his voice dripping with malice.

Maria felt a chill run down her spine as the guards hauled him away, throwing him into a dark cell deep within the castle's dungeons.

Meanwhile, the news of the Prince Kyrian's defeat spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom. Nobles and commoners alike whispered in hushed tones, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

"Prince Kyrian, the undefeated warrior, defeated?" they asked, incredulous.

But little did they know, it was not the real Prince Kyrian who had been defeated. It was his impersonator, a magical beings which ruse had fooled everyone in the kingdom,