The two walked in silence for a while. This was fine by Saylia. She didn’t understand why the young lord had a sudden interest in taking a walk with her. After a few minutes, when they were no longer in sight of the castle, Damien slowed to a stop on the path.

“Saylia, I know we don’t know each other well, but I would really like to get along with you. We’ll be married for a long, long time. I can tell that you don’t like me much and I want to change that.” Damien looked at her with a smile.

Saylia considered his words. “As much as I would like to get along with you, Lord Damien, I fear we are too different to ever truly be friendly.”

Damien’s smile turned….almost sinister. “There is no need to be so formal with me. We’ll be married before you know it.” Damien stepped closer and closer to Saylia until her back was almost against a tree. “In fact, why don’t we take the time to become more…familiar.”

In the next moment, Damien pinned the princess against the tree, holding her hands above her head, and kissed her. Teeth hit teeth. Saylia struggled, attempting to push him away. He kept one hand on hers and used the other to start groping her. He pushed her even harder into the tree and forced his tongue into her mouth. Desperate to get away from him, Saylia bit the intruding tongue.

Damien stepped away, cursing and bringing his hand to his now bleeding mouth. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He spat.

“Don’t touch me.” Saylia stood against the tree, terrified. Saylia was not physically strong. Damien could easily overpower her. But as scared as she was, she was not willing to submit to him.

“Might want to get used to it, Princess. It won’t be long before we’re married and you’re mine to do whatever I want with.” A dark smile grew over Damien’s face.

“I will never give my body to you.”

SLAP

Saylia felt the sting in her cheek after Damien slapped her. Saylia had never been physically harmed before. She was the Red Kingdom’s lone princess, for god’s sake. Nobody dared to touch her without risking their own head.

Where was Nik when Saylia needed her? Oh, wait. Saylia told her to stay behind because she never thought Damien would be stupid enough to hurt her.

“Think about your position. You’re nothing without a husband. You’re a glorified whore, gifted to whoever your father thinks will benefit this kingdom the most.”

Then Damien turned around and started walking towards the palace again. As soon as he was out of sight, Saylia dropped to the cold ground and started crying. What he said shook her to her core. Was she nothing more than a glorified whore?

❧

Nik was leaning against the stair railing leading to the ballroom when Lord Damien reappeared. Without Saylia.

He scoffed at Nik and she noticed the small amount of dried blood on his lip.

What the hell happened?

Nik hurried in the direction he came from, needing to find Saylia, to know she was alright. If something had happened to her and Nik wasn’t there to protect her, she’d never forgive herself.

After racing through the gardens for a couple of minutes, Nik spotted a small shape of a woman sitting under a tree. As she grew closer, she heard sobbing.

Oh, no.

She ran to the princess, slowing to a stop just a couple feet from her. She dropped to the ground in front of Saylia and carefully removed her hands from her face.

“Saylia, are you alright? What happened?”

Saylia looked up with tears streaming down her face. One cheek was clearly very red, like she had been struck.

I’ll kill that son of a bitch.

“N-ni-nik.” Saylia stuttered out.

Nik quickly removed her own cloak to wrap around the small woman in front of her. She bundled Saylia up and pulled her into her own lap. She held her close, stroked her hair, and shushed her.

“It’s okay. I’m here and you’re safe.” She comforted her.

They sat there like that for what felt like hours but was only a few short minutes. Saylia buried herself against Nik’s chest and eventually stopped sobbing. Her breathing started to even out and she seemed much calmer.

“Can I know what happened?”

“He kissed me. And when I rejected him he called me a glorified whore and hit me.”

Nik instantly tensed up, wanting to do nothing more than track down that piece of trash and bury him alive. He’s a vampire. He’d be alive until he died of thirst - that’s a long time to be six feet under.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to protect you. You’re not a glorified whore. You’re perfect and incredible and intelligent. You deserve so much better than the likes of him.”

As much as Nik wanted to race off and torture the person respond for Saylia’s current state, she knew that Saylia needed her more.

Saylia sniffled. “He’s right though. I’m being sold off by my father. I’m nothing more than a whore.”

Nik gently placed her hand on Saylia’s chin and made the teary-eyed princess look at her. “You are not a whore. He is a low-life who does not deserve you. You are worth more than a thousand of him.”

Saylia looked into Nik’s eyes and for the first time in her life she felt…longing? A true physical need to be close to another person? To be close to…Nik?

“Nikole. I need you to erase this bad memory with a good one.”

Nik flinched a little at her full first name being used. “Of course, Your Highness. What do you need me to do?”

“Kiss me.”

Nik didn’t hesitate one bit. Just as Saylia was longing for her, Nik was aching to hold and to worship the woman in her arms. Nik gingerly held both sides of Saylia’s face, being careful with her already bruised cheek, and pressed her lips against hers.

Saylia’s first thought was that Nik’s lips were so warm. And gentle. Saylia snaked her arms around Nik’s neck and pulled the knight closer. Nik placed one hand on Saylia’s waist and held her close. They started moving their lips with urgency. Saylia lightly nipped at Nik’s bottom lip.

Separating for just a moment, Nik laid the princess on the ground, her cloak mostly protecting her from the cold dirt and grass. Nik straddled Saylia and pressed her lips to hers once more. Saylia thread her hands into Nik’s hair, yearning for more. Nik slid her tongue into Saylia’s mouth, tasting and exploring.

Eventually the two parted, eyes wide and breathing heavily. Nik quickly stood and helped Saylia to her feet.

This is not how this was supposed to go. I was not supposed to fall in love with the princess.

“Nik-“ Before Saylia could finish her sentence, they heard a loud boom come from the palace.

And then the sounds of people screaming.