Somewhere in Crescent Realm, a woman in a white cloak makes her way towards the cradle.
Inside the cradle, there is a dark-haired baby, her eyes twinkling, and she is cooing. She gives the woman a toothless grin, urging her to carry her, completely oblivious of the mess, the chaos surrounding the castle.
The war cries. The sounds of things smashing against each other. Zaps and booms everywhere.
But she still finds some peace in that chaos.
And for a second, the lady in the cloak gets lost in her eyes.
But she immediately snaps out of it when she hears movement.
She hurriedly carries the baby from the cradle and runs, runs far away from Crescent Realm into a forest.
She heaves a shaky breath, staring and making sure no one is there while looking at the baby, her heart thumping bit by bit.
She releases another breath, staring at the baby's face.
"I was told to kill you," she says. "But I can't bring myself to," she says in a very low voice.
The forest is quiet. You can only hear the hums of insects and dancing of leaves in the night air.
And last but not least, beneath the moon, full and bright.
The night was a starless night, but Selene's eyes watched them.
The lady stood confused and perplexed in the middle of the forest, contemplating if she should kill the child or let the animals of the wild do the job.
The woman's gaze looks up at Selene. The bright moon.
"I…" she stammers. "I… I can't do this."
She nearly whimpers, her hands shaking but steady enough to hold the child.
She releases another breath, moisture gathering in her eyes.
"Gods."
She releases a breath.
"Oh, Goddess Selene, come to my aid," she cries out, her hand cradling the baby. "If… if I don't do this, would I be safe?"
She is talking to the moon goddess as though she could hear her. Or like she's talking to the moon.
She feels the chill of the forest on her skin, as goosebumps rise on her nape, as her hair stands there.
Still looking at Selene, the moon, the goddess that they have served their whole life, the one that has come to their aid, but has seemed to turn her back on them in this time of war.
"Fine."
The woman looks resigned.
"If this child is not a threat, as they have said, I will let you, my goddess, decide her fate."
She lowers the baby to the ground.
The baby is covered in animal fur, but the wool on her body is wrapped in a way that keeps her contained.
She gives the baby one final look, as she's still kicking and her hands are moving freely in the air.
Her eyes reflect the moon.
She looks at the moon one more time before she dashes into darkness, back to the war, leaving the baby in the wilderness in hopes that Selene might decide her fate, or the wild animals can feast on her.
Either way, the child didn't die by her hands.
But she knows if the child ends up dying, the blood will be on her hands.
The child seems completely unaware of what just happened.
Her eyes looking at the moon, her hands flexing in the air, and her legs kicking the air, completely unaware, oblivious to her surroundings of bones, skeletons, insects, animals.
She's open to be devoured, but her eyes are locked on the moon.
She smiles at it.
Suddenly, the sound of leaves shifting, as though someone is coming.
Footsteps ring.
And a man comes.
He looks like a hunter.
He hears the cooing and goes further, his torch in his hand to see clearly in the darkness.
And when he gets closer, he sees her, the baby.
"Who would leave a child in the middle of this forest of death?" he mumbles, scared for his life, but also worried for the child.
He is completely unaware of the movement of the moon, as though it is circling him.
It's subtle, but it is moving, as though a face is watching every move he takes.
And when he gets closer to the baby, he sees her smile.
"I should take her," he mumbles to himself again. "She would be safer there than here, than being food to the wild animals," he says.
"What if it's a trap?"
This forest holds a lot of creatures.
"What if someone set her out here to trap me?"
Contemplating within himself, he looks down at the baby again.
"If she's harmless, I wouldn't know until I take her. I wouldn't be able to get home and sleep soundly if this child stays out here on her own."
And then he takes her, one hand holding his torch, the other holding the baby.
And she was a quiet baby, a gentle one at that, full of smiles.
She reminded him of his child, the one he had lost with his wife in an accident.
It wasn't an accident.
He would take the child to a priestess and make sure the child is okay before he takes her home with him.
And that's what he does.
Inside the forest, there is a cottage.
A woman, purple veil, chanting things, moving her head in the air as if possessed by something, screaming and retching.
She notices his presence and shouts, "Who goes there?"
Her voice hoarse from the screaming, strong and powerful.
"A hunter," he says.
He is trembling.
She smiles.
"You have brought a child of destiny."
Her voice deep.
"Bring her to me."
"Promise you won't hurt her," he says.
And she laughs.
She laughs a very deadly laugh.
"This child you're carrying, her destiny is something even you can't fathom. Her power is one that would bring an entire nation to its knees. Bring her to me."
The man is obedient.
He has already gotten here. Even if he runs, he can't get so far from a priestess, a powerful one at that.
So, what are you going to do?
She takes the baby, her dark onyx eyes looking at the girl's bright ones.
She stares out of the opening of her cottage, looking straight at the moon and smiles once again.
"Sister," she says.
More like she whispers.
"Sister," she says again, the air leaving her throat at the end of the sister.
The man is confused and worried.
"Sister," she says to him. "You would do exactly what I tell you."
And he nods.
She looks at the baby.
Her fingers, her hands caressing her face.
"Your destiny is one great that even the war that comes cannot withstand. Selene has chosen you. But if you are left within the grasp of your parents and your family, you would lose your destiny. Until the time you can return to Crescent Realm, you will be far from your family."
Her voice sounded old and ancient and warm.
She smiles again, looking at the child.
"For now, you will be held back until you meet the one. Until you meet the beginners of your destiny."
She lets out a breath as white smoke leaves her mouth and goes into the baby's mouth.
The child's eyes gleam, one gray, one red, before it goes back to normal, black.
She looks at the man.
"You would take her to the farthest city from here."
"But—"
"But nothing. You will not take her home. The goddess guides you. You will be safe as long as you keep her safe."
She looks up through the window at the moon again and smiles.
"You will take her to Greyhaven."
"What?" the man gasps in fear. "That's… that's… No, no, no, no."
"Don't be scared. The goddess will guide you."
"But that's a city of vampires."
"Vampires will not harm you. You will take her to Greyhaven. Drop her at the closest shelter you could find and return home and forget this ever happened. Do you understand?"
Her whisper, shrill and calm, yet it seems to have overwhelmed the man's nerves.
He looks at her eyes and looks as though he has been hypnotized by her words, and all he could reply was a nod.
She hands him the baby, and he returns.
His journey is calm, not like anyone's other journey.
He wasn't attacked by wild animals.
He wasn't stopped.
So as though he was invisible.
The moon followed him and shone upon him.
His torch was just an extra light.
The moon guided him.
And finally, he arrived at what he thought was the first shelter he could find, an orphanage, and drops the child there and turns back.
A lady in a stained garment opens the door and sees a baby cooing.
No crib, just fur and wool surrounding her.
And then she looks side to side in hopes of seeing or catching a glimpse of whoever has dropped her there.
But nothing.
She opens the fur covering the child.
Nothing to trace the child back to the family.
Nothing to even trace the child enough to give the child a name.
But she pauses.
"Is… is…" she whispers.
"Isolde."
"Isolde. So that's your name."
She looks at the baby.
"Fine. Isolde. Welcome to your new home."
She takes the baby in and closes the door.
Darian's POV
Two weeks later.
It has been two weeks since Isolde and I had our wedding.
Not the wedding that her parents are aware of. The wedding that led to us consummating our marriage. The wedding that happened because we wanted it to happen.
The wedding that I am pretty sure her parents know about, but they are still trying to feign ignorance.
I have seen her mother throw stern looks at my side, try to separate us, saying that we would have all the time to ourselves when they finally have the big wedding.
And the big wedding is today.
Ombré has refused to let me see Isolde's dress. They said that it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride's dress before the wedding.
And I've barely gotten sight of Isolde since that night.
That wonderful, blissful night.
I can't help but feel nervous.
I feel happy to see her in that dress. I want to see her in that dress, to let the entire kingdom of Greyhaven know that she is mine and I am hers.
Silas snaps his fingers in my face.
He has been doing that quite a lot recently. When I say a lot I mean well, today.
I keep slipping in and out of my thoughts.
"You know, you will still get to see her before today ends. You know that, right?" he says, and I smile.
"I am looking forward to how she's going to look"
He looks at me, then starts laughing.
"You have become a lovesick fool."
"I am still your king, you know that, right?"
"Yes, you're my king, but you're my cousin first."
And that's when I laugh.
"You will not let this go, would you?"
"Let what go?" I chuckle.
"Sometimes I wish Cassian was here with us," he says, and I look at him.
"He made his choice, Silas."
"But still, we were the only family we got."
His eyes hold soft vulnerability that I've never seen in his features.
"He tried to kill you, Si."
"But I know that he didn't mean it. He was manipulated."
"One way or the other, he chose his path. No one can easily manipulate Cassian unless he chose to be manipulated. He chose to believe what he wanted to believe."
"Fine, fine," he sighs, resigned , he then tries to lighten the mood by saying "I will create a potion that would make people sleep, so that you and your wife could have the entire castle to yourselves today."
And I grin at him.
"Don't forget that promise," I say, and he laughs.
"You would like that, wouldn't you? So you and your wife could have every single moment, every single location in the castle, and you can have her any how you want her to be."
"Don't speak of my wife like that. She is your queen."
"Yes, she is my queen. And also my student" "Why do you always find something to say?"
"Because I am Silas."
And we both burst into laughter.
And then we hear a knock.
"Your Majesty."
"These people," I grumble. "To what do I owe this attention?"
"Your presence is requested at the hall."
"I am aware, because it is my wedding," I tell him with sarcasm.
"Yes, and Her Highness Ombré—"
"Oh, oh, oh. I would be there. I would be there."
I immediately fix my face.
"You are scared of your mother-in-law, aren't you?"
"I am scared of both her and my father-in-law. They threaten me with their eyes. They don't even have to say it," I tell him.
He laughs.
"I have never seen you act like this for a long time. The last time I saw you this mischievous and scared for yourself was when Uncle and Auntie were alive."
I look at him and smile.
"I know. But, you know, sometimes I feel relieved that she is not an orphan, that she is not all alone in this world, that she doesn't have only you and I to protect her. Even if she could protect herself. I feel happy to know that her parents still look out for her. Her parents are still with her, and they could also serve as mine too if they would have me."
"Of course they love you. They would have you, of course. Even if you might be…"
"I might be what?" I ask him.
"A bit…"
"How do I put this in a way that does not make me sound like a bad cousin" "Silas?"
I groan, and he laughs at me.
"Come on, come on, before your mother-in-law grills you. You have to get to the altar before the bride gets there. If the bride gets there before you, Ombré would definitely cut off your head."
"She would not cut off my head, but she would definitely claw me with her claws."
"Yes, she will."
And we laugh, and he makes final touches on my robe.
It is not the regular robe.
Ombré says it is tradition for people of Crescent Realm, for the groom to wear a robe long enough to cascade on the floor.
The robe has a full moon sigil at the chest region.
It is nothing special, but it is beautiful.
Or at least it makes me beautiful, if I could use that word or that term.
I know that I am not the star of the wedding today.
I know the only star today is Isolde, and I'm looking forward to seeing her in that dress.
So, Silas and I make our way down to the hall, and finally I find myself at the altar waiting for my bride.
The hall isn't full, but it is with the people that actually do matter to us: Silas, Ombré.
Kristian is nowhere to be found, which is why I assume he is going to walk her down the aisle.
Elyze is there too.
And some other workers in the castle.
Immediately after the battle, some of the maids fled. Both the ones that worked in the kitchen and others.
Just a few stayed behind, and those few are present for the wedding.
The wedding is held in the hall where we first met.
The hall where I summoned her before me after she was sired by Cassian.
The hall where I ordered people to cut her hair.
And as I stand there at the throne-turned-altar, waiting for my bride, I remember everything.
The memories, clear as day.
I probably wouldn't have believed it if someone told me that I would stand in the same hall where I was to decide if I wanted to kill her or let her live.
That I would stand in that same hall to marry her.
Because I love her and she loves me.
Faces all blurred to me, some familiar, some unfamiliar, because the only face I look forward to see is yet to come.
But the soft sounds of instruments playing soothe my nerves, and I am still trying to calm the thumping of my heart in my chest that is supposed to be dead.
I am the undead.
I am not supposed to feel this beating in my heart. It is supposed to be dead.
But I could feel everything when I'm with her, when I think of her, and I have been trying to hold myself back from reaching out to her, from talking to her through our bond.
And she has taken her training so seriously that I cannot even enter her thoughts, even if I wanted to.
She has tried to block me out throughout today.
But I can also feel her, even with the fact she blocked me from talking to her.
Maybe to keep the surprise a surprise.
But I could feel her.
She is nervous just as I am, and I could feel that she is close.
The officiator tells everyone to rise as we welcome the bride, the queen.
And my eyes stare at the door, waiting and anticipating.
We did not get married in the light of day.
We got married in the darkness of the night.
The hall has been made in a way that the ceiling is glass where the reflection of the moon can be seen from the transparent covering. It has shielded us from the weather, but we can still see the stars and the moon shining so bright.
And with the torches lit and crystals evident in the hall to make it brighter and look more beautiful, I know that today will be the best day, and I will have the best feeling of my life, waiting for my bride to walk through those doors.
And I wait, staring and smiling as the announcer finally says,
"Welcome the Queen of Greyhaven! Heir to the Crescent Realm's throne, daughter to His Royal Highness Kristian Crescent and Her Royal Majesty Ombré Crescent, blessed by the Moon Goddess Selene herself, bound by fate to rule with peace and calm, ready to defend Greyhaven and Crescent Realm, the one who has joined the land of vampires and the land of werewolves, the bride, Isolde Noctara Crescent."
The sound of the music elevates, so strong, so calm, as she walks in.
Gasps of surprise.
All eyes on her, and mine settled on her as Kristian holds her hand and guides her towards me.
She looks magnificent.
Ethereal, like a goddess.
She has always been beautiful, but right now, I thank the gods for bringing her to me.
She looks straight out of a different realm that is not ours.
Her dress gleams under the torches and the crystals.
The reflection of the moon bright on the dress.
I did not know who made the dress, but I could see how it flows down and cascades to the ground as she moves.
The little crystals on the dress reflect light.
The sleeves are long, but somehow get divided at her elbows and flow freely, giving me the sight of her skin.
The dress isn't white; it's gray, but one would not be able to point that out with how much it is gleaming under the faint lights present in the hall.
Her veil covers her face, not letting me see her expression.
She takes gentle, careful steps towards me as Kristian holds her hand.
And when she finally gets to me, my breath hitches as I look down at her.
Kristian gives me a hand.
He nods at me once and then says,
"Treat her like she's the rarest of gems you have ever seen. And if you are unable to treat her like that, please return my gem to me."
He says it with seriousness, and I smile.
"I will treat her with utmost gentleness and love."
He nods again and goes back to his wife, who he kisses on her forehead, as I could see tears gleaming in her eyes.
Isolde peeks at me from beneath the veil as the announcer tells everyone to sit and the ceremony begins.
The officiator is dressed like a priest, which I assume he is,
He tells us to place our hands on one another's over a bowl.
He pours water into our hands, and he says, "Longevity."
With every drop of water he pours:
"Fertility."
"Love."
"Purity."
"Honesty."
"Peace."
That's the final one before he raises his head and looks at the both of us.
He smiles in understanding, as though he knows that we have already done this before.
We have already gotten married, and this is just for formality's sake.
He says in a voice that only us could hear,
"You have already done the ritual for Selene. This is just for everybody to know that you are one."
"Is there anything you would like to tell one another before I declare you husband and wife?"
This time his voice is a loud, so everyone is quiet and waiting, and Isolde smiles at me.
"I will always love you, Darian. I would not have my life any other way if it had brought me to you like this. I will make my choices the same way in every life if the end result is to be with you, Darian."
I could hear the quiver in her voice, and my eyes turn glassy.
"I will always be thankful to the gods that brought you to me," I tell her. "I will always cherish you in my life. Thank you for being part of me and my family."
The priest smiles.
"We shall now exchange the rings."
A little boy comes with our rings in his hands.
He hands me one and hands Isolde one.
My ring is gold, not like the one I gave her on the night we got married.
This one has runes engraved in it, with a crystal, a diamond crystal at the middle, but it is surrounded by runes.
"Put your ring on her finger and she would put hers on yours," he directs us, the officiator.
And I hold Isolde's hands and slide the ring through her finger, and she does the same to me.
My ring is thicker than hers, but still has the runes on top of it.
I do not understand what the runes mean.
The officiator looks at our confused expressions at the rings.
"The runes wish you health and wealth and prosperity, and everything good this marriage will bring for both yourselves and the kingdom which you rule," he says.
"And the power vested in me underneath Selene's moon, by her guidance, I pronounce the both of you husband and wife, rulers of Greyhaven, king and queen for as long as your reign shall be."
"Darian Valtieri and Isolde Valtieri."
"You may seal your union with a kiss."
He does not even finish the last sentence when I remove Isolde's veil from her face and grab her cheeks, bringing my face to hers and my lips to hers, kissing her with all intensity and withheld hunger for the days I have not seen her and for the distance.
My lips kiss hers and hers kiss mine, our tongues fighting for dominance.
My mind, the only thing I can think about is this woman is mine.
And she finally lets me into her head and she says,
"I love you, Darian Valtieri."
And I tell her,
"I love you too, Isolde Valtieri, my wife."
The End.