CHAPTER ONE
A crack of thunder galloped through the sky surrounding Jaqira Castle. Spring had arrived at last, following a brutal winter that left Morgeideign and its commoners praying for a vapor of warmth. The storm danced around the grounds, singing a ballad that aided the children of King Paraxious in concealing their forbidden meeting. The pair, since the fourteenth birthday of Princess Uonata, had been hidden lovers. Her eldest brother Prince Raxsies had chosen the path of incest in his search for love. Their actions were forbidden, if the truth ever came to light, they would both be executed. That however did not stop Uonata nor her brother. His thirsting lust seemed to be unquenchable. Since the time she could understand, the princess had always been taught to heed the command of her male siblings. She had known life with her eyes to the ground and her actions ever eager to please the men around her. Such practices doomed the young girl of sixteen. Leaving her vulnerable to the harsh discipline of her father and the cruel judgment of their people.
There she stood under a bridge, alone and soaked from her trip across the grounds. Raxsies had instructed her to wait for him in the moat and so she did. Uonata hid in the shadows, careful not to make any sound. A wide smile curled her lips as a heat ran up her spine. Her skin turned to gooseflesh as she thought of him. The soft growls of the enslaved dragons beneath her feet sent vibrations through the soil. For a moment the princess swore she could hear their chains sliding atop the cold stone they lived on. She knelt down, sinking her hand into the mud. “I hear you. I pray secretly for your freedom.” A tear fell from her eye as her heart sank. Aside from her brother and his affections, Uonata knew pain. She knew what it was like to be enslaved never to be free. Understood the blatant disregard for the life of another. Shame, anger and guilt rushed into her mind and balled in her throat.
The sound of horse hooves could be heard rushing toward her. The vibrance of torches rounded the corner and she rushed further beneath the bridge. The water was freezing, her ankles throbbed and cried out for her to run, but she never did. The orders of her superior bound her there to endure the pain in humble gratitude.
Minutes seemed like hours in the freezing water. Finally, Raxsies made his way under the bridge, taking her hands in his. He looked over his shoulder several times, making sure no one had followed him. He was tall and slender, with thick brown hair and eyes that could shame the most clarified of emeralds. The prince pulled her into his arms, hoping to slow her shivering. He looked at her full lips and how they had come to turn a vibrant pink from the cold. He kissed her, rubbing her back in a supportive nature. The meeting was not like all others that preceded it. Instead, it was one of sad realization. The couple took a moment to look at each other. It had been weeks since they last were left alone to explore their lust. With a sigh Raxsies spoke.
"Sister, we must put an end to this relationship. I overheard that father has promised you to another. You are to marry Prince Alo'car of the Vermillion Marauders. Your marriage will ensure peace between our country and the natives beyond the Merchant’s Sea.”
Tears rimmed her eyes before being stalled by the air now locked in her throat. Her tanned complexion turned pallid as she clung to her brother. "Please Raxsies, do not let father sell me to this man. I know nothing of their culture or how to rule. My heart beats for only one man and he is you. If they find out I have lost my maidenhead, father will see me burned."
Uonata was ignorant to the fact that what she felt was not real love. It was a primal and dangerous attraction forced on her by acts of mental and physical abuse. A sword slowly cutting through her sanity wielded by no other than her abuser.
The soft touch of his index finger moved over her lips. "Shh, hush now sweet girl. There are ways to conceal your condition. I will be at your side every step of the way. If we do not succeed in severing our bond now, the penalty will be death for us both."
The young woman did not understand how he could so quickly turn from her. She thought back to all the times he had promised they would be together until death did them part. Perhaps it was his age that allowed him to disconnect so easily. He was seven years wiser than she was.
The storms fury grew. The winds picked up sinking the chill further into her bones. "Raxsies, I beseech you. Don’t leave me alone in this world. You have always protected me. My heart when it knew not how to beat. When my thoughts were ground to dust under the heel of our laws, you gave them meaning in my stead. You taught me how to be a woman, one you said you would always love. If I am married to Prince Alo’car, I will never see you again. Do not let me be stolen from you, I will not survive it."
Thunder struck overhead as if the gods themselves felt the pleading in her words. The prince pulled his sister into his arms, backing into the stone around them. "I will always be with you. Perhaps, not as frequently as I have been but, I will never forget what you are to me. You are the love of my life and my sister. As your eldest brother, it is my duty to ensure your safety. A marriage will never erase that. There is no place that could keep me from you. Trust me Uonata, you may become his wife, but you will always be mine forevermore."
The princess wept slowly into his chest, her nails digging into the delicate fabric of his blouse. His words had failed to calm her. Instead, they made her look further into the future. One lacking his embrace. Wiping her tears and taking a breath, Uonata nodded forcing herself to understand the speech recently relayed.
"I will do as commanded. After all, I have no other choice in such matters."
Stroking her strands from her swollen view Raxsies lead her from under the bridge. "You must return to your bedchambers. You would not want father to find you unencumbered by your ladies.” He smiled softly and chuckled. “Go now and try your best to go unnoticed." He pressed her towards the courtyard, watching the grounds for looming eyes. Doing as instructed Uonata made her way inside leaving her brother to be swallowed by the rain.
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