Monster

The castle was in chaos, men and women running around for dear life, stepping over each other in the process. Nothing could have prepared them for that day, the day when the defense system of their kingdom crumbled into ashes.

"Protect the royal family!" One of the guards yelled but his voice was drowned by the screams and cries of everyone present.

The hands of the men at the front line shook with fear as they clung to their swords, their lives flashing before their eyes. Some gave up and ran for their lives but others chose to stay and defend their kingdom, a decision they regretted as they were fighting a losing battle.

Sounds of metal clashing underneath a stormy sky filled the area, men crying and yelling as they took their final breath, slapped with the face of defeat.

Amidst all that chaos was a lone figure smirking in amusement as he watched his enemies break into pieces. His aura alone sent shivers down everyone's spines, his men included. His movements were swift and precise. With one clean hit, those before him were down.

He looked like a devil as he walked down the runway of dead bodies, a runway painted with the blood of those who chose to go against him.

Slowly they made their way to the castle, where Sebian's new prey lies.

The king of Erlea was panicked, he could hear the battle getting closer, and with each passing moment, his heart lept further into his throat as his cloak got soaked with sweat. They had nowhere to run. They were cornered.

Atarah watched as her father paced around the room. She hugged her younger brother who clung to her tightly.

"It's okay Riel, everything will be fine." She whispered in his ear, contrary to the eyes she stared at her father with, eyes filled with hatred.

A part of her was happy they were under attack, the part of her that hated her father, the man who caused her every form of trauma, the man who treated his children as nothing but tools to gain power. She hated him with every fiber of her being, but the child in her was scared of what would happen next.

Suddenly everywhere went cold, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Time seemed to slow down as she watched a man emerge from the shadows, his back to her. Something about him gave her warning signs, she had to get out of there but...she couldn't move, fear gripped every fiber in her being.

All she could do was hold on to her brother tightly and watch as the mysterious man towered over her father who crawled back in fear.

"I'm finally here, Eaerik." His deep voice echoed in the room sending ripples into her stomach.

"Cat got your tongue? You weren't so quiet when you declared war against my kingdom." He chuckled darkly, throwing his head back before squatting to Eaerik's level.

"You know what I love the most about a battle?..." He asked, reaching into his pockets to grab something, "it's the sound people make when I finally pull them apart."

Eaerik's cry thundered in the room. Atarah's eyes widened in shock to see the man shoving a dagger into her father's hands. Tears rolled down her rosy cheeks, not because she felt pity for her father but because she was scared of what would happen to her and her brother.

"Please, let's talk about..." Before her father could even finish his sentence, his left arm was sliced off by the same dagger the man was holding.

Blood gushed out of his hand and he yelled again. Atarah tried to cover her brother's ears but it was too late, he had already heard and seen everything.

"Fa-father...big sis, what's wrong with father?" Riel choked the words out. Tears cascaded down his face like a waterfall.

Atarah was scared for her brother, he had always had a weak heart so she knew he couldn't handle what he just saw. She stood up and carried him as she tried to quietly walk away from the scene, she couldn't let her brother see any more violence.

"Spare no man! It's the king's order."

All the color drained from her face once she heard those words, they weren't safe. Steeling herself she tried to continue moving until they reached somewhere safe. Her hands shook as she carried her brother in her hands, each step felt like a brick was kept on her back.

They had barely reached anywhere when she got pushed by a strong force, causing her to trip and fall. Her heart momentarily stopped beating, and beads of sweat dropped from her forehead unceremoniously but even at that intense moment, all she could think of was her brother. He'd fallen with her and his head was bleeding but she couldn't reach out to him, she was frozen in place.

"What's going on here?"

Atarah heard the same voice from before. She looked up to see the man, not just his back this time. He had splashes of blood on his face, blood she was certain belonged to her father.

"Your Highness, we-we were just about to..." One of the soldiers stammered out of fear but he got rudely cut off by the mysterious man.

"Quiet! Join the rest in cleaning up the mess before your heads roll off your necks."They scrambled in fear the moment he finished speaking.

Atarah began tearing up as she stared at the monster before her, she tried to crawl backward but he took a step closer with each movement she made.

"I never would have thought there was such a beautiful princess hiding behind the walls of this palace." He smirked, staring at her like he would devour her at any moment.

"What should I do with you now, princess?" He asked, placing the tip of his dagger at her throat which soon started bleeding.

"Spare us, please," Atarah whispered, the energy had left her body and all she could do was beg, hoping for the best.

Then, he took notice of the frail boy laying not too far away from them. "I can't let go of such a beauty like you..." He traced the dagger's tip down her neck till it was just above her breasts.

"Alright then princess, I'll spare you...and that boy." Atarah's eyes widened in hope and disbelief. She couldn't believe he decided to let them go just like that. However, her moment of happiness was short-lived as the next words she heard killed the ray of hope she felt earlier.

"You have two options, marry me and become my prisoner then I'll spare you both, or...refuse and I kill you right here, right now. You have three seconds to answer." With each word he uttered, he watched in amusement as her life force got sucked out by the second.

Atarah had no choice, she had to marry him and save her brother but she knew that would be the end for her, from then on her life would be a nightmare.

"I'll marry you." Her head sank in defeat, her life was over before it even began.

'This is all your fault father, your fault.' she thought, the feeling of hatred she had for her now deceased father intensifying.

"Good girl," Sebian raised her head to get her to look at him, "from this moment on, you are mine and no one else's, I own you princess...every inch of you belongs to me, both your body and your soul." His lips curled up into a devilish smile as he stared greedily at her body.

"I don't care what you do to me, just, please don't hurt my brother, plea-"She passed out from exhaustion before finishing her statement, falling into Sebian's arms.

Sebian stared at the girl in his hands, her delicate feature looked stressed even in her sleep. He had never had any interest in women so he too was surprised by his sudden proposal, there was just something about her that drew him closer.

He lifted her and signaled the guard at the door to carry her brother. "Get them a doctor from one of the hostages, we leave as soon as possible, William will take care of the rest."

The guard was shocked to see Sebian holding a girl so delicately in his hands but he dare not say a word for he valued his life.

Soon they left Erlea, a kingdom Sebian now ruled over. He went back home with a new bride, a bride who hated him to the core.