In a distant part of the kingdom, the north central, also known as the Dragonseed Clan, a young noblewoman called Fanaza lived a life of luxury. With her striking silver hair that fell in loose waves down her back, her bright, sparkling blue eyes, cheekbones, petite nose, and full, curved lips, Fanaza seemed destined for greatness. Her porcelain-smooth skin and subtle sheen hinted at her noble upbringing.
Fanaza felt suffocated by her luxurious life. Her heart yearned for something more creative with a strong determination for freedom and love. She was a lover of fashion, and this had been a secret she had held on to, as it was forbidden for the noble women to have any other duties other than serving their husbands and breeding children.
She would always sneak out of the mansion and into the woods, chasing butterflies and various flowers to add to her clothing designs . As she decided to chase after a butterfly, she felt carefree and alive. Her maid, Sally, followed close behind, trying to keep up with Fanaza's energetic pace. As they ran through the woods, Fanaza's laughter echoed through the trees. She felt a sense of joy she had never experienced before.
"Lady Fanaza, please wait." Sally screamed at the top of her lungs chasing after her but couldn't catch up to her.
Fanaza chased the butterfly before she tripped on a tree stump, causing her to roll down the woods and hurt her knee. The sight of blood created a strong fear in her. Nobles are not to have any scars on their bodies, she thought. Well, this one just made an exception.
"My lady," Sally ran after her and succeeded in catching up, as she ran, fear and worry for the lady etched on her face.
"Owww, it hurts so badly," Fanaza groaned.
"That's what you get for disobeying the Lord." Sally replied with a smile.
"I wasn't disobeying; I was just trying to have fun. I am always locked up in the house like a maid,I have no friends, and no one to relate with," replied Fanaza.
I'm here, my lady,"Sally assured. "Let's treat your wound before Lord finds out." Sally said, pulling Fanaza up.
Sally had been the only person Fanaza had always spent time with; she was her trusted maid, and she loved her. She would accompany her everywhere, and they would do things nobles are not to be caught doing; she was her partner in crime.
Fanaza and her trusted maid arrived at the family house and jumped over the fence into the main mansion. Fanaza was about to enter into the house and pretend nothing ever happened, but a heated argument between her parents halted her steps. Leaning towards the door, she eavesdropped on everything being communicated.
"You can't just marry her off. What does she know, Elric?" Elizabeth argued.
"Elizabeth, do not make us prolong this matter; it has already been decided that she will marry the Crown Prince of Macabre.It's her destiny." Elric screamed at his wife, all frustrated and drained.
Fanaza was heartbroken. Marry the crown prince? She does not know him, nor does she like him, so why are they introducing this to an eighteen-year-old who had no idea of anything about the world? She thought.
"You cannot just marry our daughter off to a stranger. How do you expect her to survive all alone in a strange man's land far away from home?" Elizabeth argued more.
"She will; she is to marry Crown Prince Percival."
Fanaza had enough and busted the door open in anger. It was time for her to have a say in the conversation.
"Are you trying to sell me off to a strange man?" Her soft voice echoed throughout the room.
"Fanaza, I had no idea you were at the door." Her mother said.
"Why will you decide such a thing behind my back, an arranged marriage to someone I have never met before?" Do you even know the rumors going on about him?" Fanaza spat out in anger.
"Ignore the rumors and prepare for marriage. The queen has decided to meet with you and spend time teaching you the basics of becoming a queen before the marriage. In the next two days, you will be headed to the palace." Elric said before walking away, followed by Elizabeth.
There was nothing she could do to change the mind of her father; he is a stubborn goat, and once he has his mind on something, he is going to do it no matter what, which shows he is not backing down on this marriage.
Fanaza sat down in shock, resting her lean body on the table. Why would she get married now? She had always wanted to have a first love and experience what love is like, but marrying this person without any idea of who he is is just crazy, and she couldn't deal with it. She was heartbroken and sad; her single life was about to end, and her freedom would be restricted more as there was a huge possibility of her becoming a queen.
All her thoughts were put on hold when a voice whispered some words.
"My Lady, you have an invitation," Sally whispered but got no response from Fanaza.
"It's from the best fashion designer in the kingdom, Tara Oculus. She saw your designs at the store and asked you to meet her in person at the tavern," Sally said joyfully.
She was happy for the lady and supported her in everything she did. They would sneak out to sell her dresses to people and sneak out to buy materials to make them in the middle of the night without her parents knowing.
Fanaza's head moved in joy.
"Are you serious?" She asked,
"Yes, I am. Look at it," she showed her the invitation.
"Doll me up," she said, forgetting about all her worries or anything related to the marriage.
-----
Nightfall, Fanaza, and Sally waited for everyone to be asleep; the lights were all turned off, and the sound of the sleeping bell was heard before they dressed up and prepared to jump the fence to the other side of the street.
"My lady, be quick," Sally said while assisting her and pushing her up to jump over the fence. She jumped it successfully and also assisted Sally. They both made their way to the tavern.
The tavern reeked of strong alcohol that could be harmful to the nose. With people partying, the place was loud, and this made Fanaza wonder why a famous designer could pick such a location to meet up. They walked through the whole place and saw no glimpse of the designer, at this point; Fanaza was getting tired.
The place was not healthy for her, as men were staring at her, and she could swear some had removed her whole clothes off her body with just their eyes due to the stare she was receiving. Crazy, isn't it?
Fananza wasn't having it; she wanted to meet the designer so badly and show her what she had to offer, but for hours the designer never showed up . She felt disappointed and wanted to call on Sally so they could return home, but surprisingly Sally was nowhere to be found.
"Sally," she called through the crowd.
She was getting nervous and wanted to leave the place, but she couldn't leave Sally behind. She looked around until a soft hand tapped her.
"My Lady," Sally said softly.
"Where have you been?" She was worried.
"I saw a handsome man who gave me a sip of the red wine."_Sally said with a huge smile.
"Let's just go home; the designer never showed up," Fanaza said, disappointed.
"I have to pee first, then we'll talk about what happened," Sally said before rushing out with Fanaza.
Sally pees in a nearby wood. Fanaza waited for her but got distracted when she saw butterflies. She was obsessed with them and loved catching them. She began to chase the butterfly, moving far away from Sally.
"My Lady!" Sally screamed, looking confused, and had no idea where her lady could be.
Fanaza followed the butterfly, and she got herself into trouble; she landed right in another part of the woods where she saw a group of bandits sitting round a campfire. They looked tattered and starved.
"Hello," the boss of the bandits said.
Fanaza looked surprised, but she was not having it; all she cared about was Sally.
"Quite a rude one." He didn't get a reply, and his men surrounded her.
"Please let me go; I must have taken a wrong direction." Fanaza blurted out and was about to walk away when she hit another bandit.
"Are you a noble? The dress—he touches her dress?
At this point Fanaza was scared and worried that these men could harm her; they all looked scary, and something just seemed so off about them. Things started to get tense when they started moving close to her. They had in mind to sleep with her and rob her of every piece of jewelry on her body.
"Please let me go!" she pleaded.
The men laugh hysterically and were about to force themselves on her when a dark, deep voice halted them.
"Let her go!" a voice commanded.
Do not worry, he sounds sexxxxxxxxy...
The men stopped in action. Fanaza was able to move to a safe side. Turning to her right, she saw a man who stood tall, shrouded in a dark, hooded cloak that hid his face. But his eyes gleamed like polished gold, shining brightly in the darkness.
They seemed to radiate an inner light, glowing with an ethereal intensity that was both mesmerizing and unsettling. His broad shoulders and powerful physique hinted at supernatural strength. The cloak concealed any imperfections, but an aura of quiet confidence and authority. He commanded attention.
The man in the dark cloak stepped forward, his golden eyes blazing with an inner fire. The bandits charged, but he moved with supernatural precision, his dagger flashing in the darkness. Let's just conclude he was a knight in shining armor.
With swift, merciless strikes, he took down the bandits one by one. They screamed and clutched at their wounds, but he showed no mercy. When one bandit swung a stick at his head, he caught it on his forearm, the wood shattering against his flesh.
The bandits fled, but the cloaked man pursued them, his dagger slicing through the darkness. When he finally vanished into the night, the bandits lay scattered, their bodies were broken, and blood dripped on their skin.
As Fanaza watched quietly from afar, the cloaked man turned to her, his golden eyes gleaming with intensity. She could see his eyes shining so bright and clear; she fell in love and was lost in them.
With his defeat he had no reason to stay, and he decided to leave, but a soft voice made him stop half in motion.
"Who are you?" Fanaza asked, curious about the man in the hooded cloak, who the mysterious lifesaver was.
The man said nothing but ran out of the woods immediately . Fanaza was surprised, but a silver necklace caught her attention. She knew it belonged to the stranger who saved her life. She took it and promised to keep it, hoping one day their paths would cross and she would return it.