The Second Prince's knights were waiting for me when I left my father's study. They bound my wrists with chains and led me out of the house. In front of the entry staircase was a cerulean and gold carriage, drawn by two black horses.
I was told to get in, so I climbed up the small stairs and through the open door.
Inside, there were two plush benches on either side, both covered in rich white velvet. On one side sat the Second Prince, so I sat on the other side facing him.
There were round windows on either side of me, and the walls were upholstered in a silky, midnight blue fabric. My feet rested on a fluffy white floor that looked suspiciously like a wolf's skin.
After taking in my surroundings, my eyes came to rest on Prince Eduard. I hadn't noticed it when we were inside, but the hair I'd thought was blond shone a silvery white in the sunlight.
His face was indeed as average as I’d thought, but his hair was undeniably beautiful. His eyes, a soft light brown, were fixed on me as I took in the splendor of the carriage.
He studied me for a moment before speaking, as if trying to gauge my reaction. Unlike my father, who exuded hostility and anger, the Prince looked at me with a combination of curiosity and apathy.
"Julien, was it?" he asked in an uninterested tone.
I nodded, though I didn't recognize the name as my own. For now, I had no choice but to use the name my father had given me. I couldn't speak to correct him, and I doubted that he cared how I preferred to be called anyway.
"Very well then," he said, "the journey to Luz Dorada should take a few days, so I suggest you make yourself comfortable. I assume your father has explained what is expected of you?"
I nodded again. I did my best to keep my face neutral, trying to hide the fear and resentment I felt. This man, despite his cordial tone and bland smile, was still an ally of my father. He was also the second in line to the Golden Throne, and not someone to be trifled with.
"The beast you are to marry is a cat general, a tiger if I'm not mistaken. Its name is Rastari. So far, it seems to be unusually well controlled for a beast. But your sister Emma is simply too fragile to handle life among the beasts and no other ducal house had any unmarried children of the right age," he said, as if he were reciting a scripted speech. It was probably the same story he had planned for the beastmen.
"My brother was quite insistent on your sister," he continued, "something both your father and I argued against, along with the entirety of this foolhardy endeavour. In the end, your father made a very hard choice, giving up his heir for the sake of his nation and his young daughter's happiness."
If I hadn't known better, he would have had me convinced that my father had suffered a terrible loss when he gave me up.
It wasn't a hard choice for him at all, I thought to myself. That man never cared for me, not even a little.
In the early years, he'd beaten me to cow me and mold me into a useful pawn, but in the later years, I was certain he beat me because he enjoyed my pain. Whenever he remembered my shameful existence, he would call me into his study to vent his anger on me.
On the other hand, he cherished his daughter and gave her everything her heart desired.
Unaware of my thoughts, the Second Prince continued, "I hope you understand that the hope of our nation now rests on your shoulders, Julien de Ramport.
"You must present yourself to the beast in good faith; a brave young man taking the place of his dear sister, whose heart is already attached to another.
"If it kills you in a fit of rage, rest assured that we will go back to war to avenge you. If it refuses you, you can be executed privately and painlessly, and the blame placed on that creature. In the rare event that it accepts you as its bride, your unfortunate union will bring about a brief period of peace, during which we can plan our next move.
"As long as you approach this with sincerity, you will undoubtedly bring the human cause one step closer to annihilating these creatures.
"I appreciate your noble sacrifice, Julien de Ramport, please know that you have my gratitude. If you could speak, I'm certain you would thank me for this opportunity to serve your nation."
If I could speak, I would tell you that you're mad, I thought.
I avoided the Second Prince's gaze so he wouldn't see the loathing in my eyes. A noble sacrifice? A secret execution? Restarting a fruitless war?
Does he hate the beastmen so much that he’d hurt his own people? How can he truly believe that this is a just and worthy cause? I'd expect something like this from my father, but not from the man second in line for the Golden Throne. How can he possibly think that what he's doing is right?
I could sense the man in front of me might be more dangerous than he seemed. He'd informed me of his plans for my untimely death as if he were telling me about the weather, all with that insipid expression on his face.
He used fancy words and a gentler tone, but he was no different from my father.
I would die or suffer a fate worse than death, and he would send me off with a bland smile. Thank him for that? Never.
The carriage fell silent, except for the sound of the horses pulling us along the road.
We traveled for many days, with frequent stops along the way. Though I was never allowed to venture out into the forest alone, and my wrists kept in chains, I was still allowed to be outside and breathe the fresh air, something I had mostly been denied while living in the Duke's house.
It had been so long since I'd been properly outside that I'd forgotten what it was like to feel the sun on my skin.
Despite my circumstances, I basked in my newfound freedom; I stood in the sun, felt the breeze on my skin, and enjoyed the rush of bathing in a cold stream.
The sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling were both nostalgic and new to me.
The Second Prince generally left me to my own devices, as I showed no intention of running away. To be honest, I didn't even consider it as an option.
Even if I managed to escape, I would still be alone in the forest with my wrists chained. I would be finished as soon as night fell and the monsters came out.
If I failed in my escape, I imagined that I would be subjected to more violence, something I had no desire to inflict upon myself.
Instead of planning to escape, I spent my time caught between the exhilaration of experiencing the world again and the dread of what awaited me when we reached the capital.
Twice along the way, we were attacked by monsters from the forest that noticed the fires from our camp. Before that, I had only heard about monsters in scary stories, and it was a cold dose of reality to actually encounter them.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
The first were a group of goblins, small in stature but known for being persistent and vicious. The knights slaughtered them before they even got past the perimeter of our camp.
I slept through the entire encounter and only learned of it the next morning.
The second was a lone dire wolf that crept up on us in the middle of the night. It snuck past the sentries and had already penetrated the center of our camp when I was awoken by the sound of its howling.
The dire wolf was huge, almost as big as the carriage I'd rode in, with filthy, matted fur and a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth.
It took the knights a long time to defeat it, and more than a few were injured in the process, delaying our travels.
I had watched the battle from my tent, peering through the door flaps, terrified to death. When they finally destroyed it, the foul stench of the creature's blood permeated the entire camp.
We lost three days of travel time due to the knights' injuries. The Second Prince showed surprising concern for his subordinates, not hesitating to order several days of rest so they could recover. He even contacted a healer from the nearest village to tend to the wounded.
I was quite surprised, as he didn't seem like a man who cared about others, given his willingness to use me as a sacrifice. But I suppose these men were his people, unlike me, who was just the Duke's bastard and a useful pawn.
The days we rested in that clearing were some of the most peaceful I'd had since childhood.
Each morning I would wake before dawn and watch the sun rise over a nearby lake. I could sit for hours, appreciating the beauty of the transition from night to day.
From the blackness of the night, the sky would be illuminated in shades of indigo as the sun approached the horizon.
Then I would wait in anticipation for the first glimmer of red to appear on the horizon, trying to capture every detail in my mind as the sky turned from red to orange before finally becoming the brilliant blue of daylight.
After being denied the simple pleasures of life for so long, the rising sun felt like a miracle being shown just to me, alone on that flat rock by the lake.
After sunrise, I washed in the lake and returned to camp. We would break our fast on dried fruit and boiled grains, and then I was free to roam around the area.
The Second Prince had business to attend to, and there weren't enough able-bodied knights remaining, so I was essentially allowed to wander as I pleased. The direwolf's attack was considered a better escape deterrent than any punishment they could threaten me with.
They were right, of course. I wasn't afraid of the forest animals, but I didn't want to die at the mercy of the monsters that came out at night. So I always returned to camp before the sunset turned to twilight and I never once considered risking the forest on my own.
After the third night, we broke camp and continued our journey to the capital, the city of Luz Dorada in the heart of Vrayna.
Through the barless windows of the carriage, I tirelessly watched the passing scenery while the Second Prince worked on the pile of paperwork he'd brought with him for the journey. I marveled at the variety of plants and trees I saw, occasionally spotting a bird on a branch or a wild animal in the bushes.
The next day, the forest gave way to fields of tall grass, and small farms began appearing on both sides of the road. One farm, which I wished we could pass more slowly, had cows grazing in the field. I hadn’t seen a cow since I was a child.
With their black and white spots and those low, drawling moos, I could have stayed and watched them for days.
"Tsk. They're just cows," the Second Prince muttered when he saw my unbridled enthusiasm at the sight.
I was aware of my own childish behavior, but I didn't care. This might be my only chance to experience such things.
I shrugged and continued to stare out the window.
After the farmland, we entered the outskirts of the city.
We passed all types of dwellings; mud huts with thatched roofs in the outer slums, endless rows of townhouses in the residential district, and tiny rooftop apartments above the various stalls in the commercial district.
People of all varieties walked the streets, and I watched them as they walked, talked, and traded their wares. There were food stalls, stables, and shops everywhere.
The last time I had witnessed such a scene, I was half-conscious in the back of a wagon, and in no condition to appreciate the experience. This time, although my situation was just as dire, I was able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the market.
Soon I saw a golden gate towering in the distance. Two knights stood at the top, their silver armor contrasting beautifully with the shining gold of the gate.
A massive wall of white stone stretched out from the gate. It was at least four stories high, and even more knights walked along a gold fenced path that ran along the top of it.
The Second Prince looked at me with a proud smile and announced, "Welcome to Luz Dorada. Once we pass through these gates, you will find yourself in the mighty and majestic capital of humanity."
His boastful tone indicated that he expected me to be impressed, and I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't disappoint.
My first impression of the gate was magnificence; a fierce and overpowering display of wealth and power.
As we approached the gate, two more knights stood at the entrance, bowing deeply to the carriage. One hastily began to turn a large wheel on the side of the wall, and the door of the gate slowly began to open.
"His Royal Highness, Prince Eduard de Vray returns!" shouted the other knight, and cheers erupted from the top of the wall.
"Long live His Highness! Long live Prince Eduard!" shouted a chorus of voices from both the wall above and the streets beyond the gate. To their shouts, the carriage moved forward, passing through the gate of Luz Dorada, the golden city in the heart of Vrayna.
As we passed through the gates and entered the city proper, the carriage was greeted with cheers and shouts of good tidings as we passed through the streets.
The other side of the wall was inhabited by a different class of people. All of them were well fed and immaculately dressed, whether for work or for leisure. Within the city’s inner wall lived the nobles, the wealthy, and the elite.
There were no food stalls or street vendors to be seen, instead there were tall buildings that housed bankers, armorers, and lawmakers. The inns, if you could even call them that, were towering buildings with opulent and beautiful decorations.
There were corner cafes with outdoor patios where young and beautiful nobles sat under umbrellas, sipping their drinks and chatting politely. They looked like they should be part of a painting and not exist in reality.
It was like a different world from the chaotic and vibrant outer city. The outside was exciting and interesting, a place I wanted to experience, but the inside felt too perfect. Nothing was out of place; everything was flawless and shiny.
The people gave off the impression of happiness, but to me it felt cold and sterile. The perfection was unnerving.
In the distance I could see our destination. In a shining city full of shining things, it was by far the shiniest of them all: The Royal Palace. It towered above all other buildings, its golden glory shining like a second sun over the city.
The Golden Palace stood over ten stories high at its tallest point, with various bridges and walkways connecting the different sections, and all of it a blindly bright, glittering gold that reflected the sun's rays.
As I looked at it, my heart sank. I had reached the end of my road, and my short, dark future awaited me in those golden halls.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" The voice of the Second Prince pulled me out of my thoughts. "Our ancestors built the Golden Palace in the center of the human world to shine our light into the darkest corners of the land.
"Soon you'll receive the blessing of meeting my brother, the First Prince and Crowned Prince of our nation, Elantro de Vray.
"Now, I've assured him that you volunteered for this role, and he's soft-hearted enough to allow you to take your sister's place as long as it's your will. My brother, our future King, is a very good man. His kind heart is why his people love him so much, but it makes him too generous when dealing with those subhumans. My sweet, misguided brother actually believes that allowing those filthy beasts into our midst is the right thing to do.
"My role is to allow my brother to be his kind and generous self while doing what must be done for the good of the nation. Everything we do will be for his benefit, I assure you.
"And let me be clear, if you do anything to shatter my dear brother's illusions, I will see to it that you suffer in unspeakable ways before you die. I wonder, how long I would have to torture you before I got to hear you shriek in pain?"
He smiled as he said that last part, the threat clear in his otherwise casual voice. He met my eyes for a brief moment, and I saw a glimmer of excitement in his plain, emotionless eyes.
He was more than willing to torture me if the Crown Prince were to discover the reality of my situation. In fact, that glimmer in his eyes told me he'd enjoy doing it. He was enjoying all of this.
"Enjoy the sights of our beautiful city while you can. Nothing you've seen before could ever compare to the beauty and wonder of Luz Dorada. Unless, of course, you think cows are more impressive than the Golden Palace," he remarked with a sardonic smile.
I'd rather look at the cows, I thought as I turned my face back to the window.
The scenery passed before my eyes, each immaculate street looking no different from the last, and soon we arrived at the palace gates.