"Arrgghhh!!"

It appeared that no amount of screaming could really express the extent of the emotions she was feeling at the moment.

It started with just simple scouting of human mines. Nothing should have gone wrong, no flukes should have occured. Especially not for a Valkyrie such as herself, a title she valiantly earned by being the strongest female warrior in all of Vanyar.

She managed to follow a suspicious group of men into the abandoned mines, only to find that Forlorn elf among them.

The elf had been experimenting on the orcs, something that was forbidden by the wood elves. The discussion of whether or not such practices were considered taboo or not was a staunchly debated topic among the elven race. It was because of such matters that the wood elves and the dark elves were always in dispute.

As for the Forlorn elves doing this behind their backs, one had to wonder what exactly they were planning to do. This was a conspiracy that definitely went beyond the Caerleon mayor's death.

Serene was so troubled by the violation that was occuring before her, she decided to follow them without reporting it beforehand to that new husband of hers, as was previously instructed.

"He's too busy playing with that purple haired bitch, after all," she thought violently to herself, furrowing her brows.

Being both a specialist in plant element elves as well as a fully skilled ranger, she was confident that she could follow the group in front of her without being found.

"Why are they taking those orcs?" She thought, disgusted at what she was seeing. The battered, limp bodies of the orcs were being dragged off one by one. "A sample of their recent experiments, maybe... The Forlorn really have lost their way."

As Serene closely tailed the group, she was surprised to see they were meeting a Forlorn elder, and out of all the other elves, a certain individual stood out from among the crowd. It was Riata, the famous Forlorn priestess of Thorn.

Despite herself, she let out a slight gasp which she quickly stifled by clamping her hand tightly over her mouth. What was such a prominent religious figure doing in such a sacreligious, violent ceremony?

Unfortunately, just a small slight move that trembled the plant was enough to alert the keen ears of the famous Forlorn elders.

"Someone is watching!" One of them exclaimed when he saw her figure peeking out from behind the stone wall she was using as cover.

When she was found, she quickly ran as fast as she could towards the exit, only to be met with Prince Janus suddenly towering above her as she was knocked off her feet.

"Ah, Serene!" He smiled coyly, his voice dripping with false politeness. "To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here?"

She tried to get back on her feet, but it was too late. Several elven warriors had already restrained her from behind. She was captured and thrown into a room of the Forlorn palace.

She quickly ran at the first chance she got only to be caught again, and finally, she was confined in the dungeon. To the same place where the worst criminal offenders were sent.

And every day, without fail, that bastard prince dared to come and flirt with her, continuously attempting to involve her in his crazy plan.

Each day she refused, the more violent he behaved towards her.

"You dare!!" "I am the Vanyar princess!"

"Huh!" He scoffed, as though unable to believe what he had just heard. "Serene, don't you think I don't know that your queen has gone insane, selling you to a complete nobody based on a useless prophecy?"

During another one of his visits, Serene could immediately tell that there was something different about him that day.

Sure enough, when the cell door clicked open, he immediately tried to force himself upon her. The moment she resisted, he hurt her already weakened body.

The only reason he never truly forced her to do the deed was because he still liked to play games with her. But she feared that one of these days, he would finally get bored and force her into submission.

For an elf, being forced upon would mean losing her honor, and she would rather die than live in such shame. When that crazy prince came next time, she would be ready; these were the thoughts that lingered in her mind as she watched him leave through the door, bruised and battered.

Towards the end, when she thought that she was already down to her final days, his face came to mind. The face of a certain brash, foolish, and shameless elf.

Unconsciously, she was hoping for him to save her from the misery that she was in.

"You promised that you would take care of me…" She choked out, tears brimming her eyes. "You damn liar!!"

As if her prayers were suddenly received by the gods, a figure emerged from the shadows, looking at her through the bars of the cell door.

"Serene, wifey… It's me, your lovely husband."

Those were the most annoying words anyone could ever utter, but at the moment they gave her so much happiness and hope that she thought she was going to burst.

The fool was so attentive. Upon realizing that her body was riddled with bruises, the anger that had emanated from him was so strong that it was palpable. Despite such a minuscule chance, insanely enough, he broke her out of the prison.

At that moment she realizes, even if they were to die fleeing, she would die happy, as long as it was the two of them on the run.

Unfortunately, that prince stops them. The cowards used her as a hostage, and her fool husband had fallen for it. Finally, now both of them were captured.

She was prepared to die with him. But not like this. Not through torture!

No matter how much she screamed, those Forlorn elves were animals and they refused to stop inflicting pain on him.

This is not our way, she thought. Why were these elves so corrupted?

It was as though they found comfort in torture. This can't be what had become of us, her mind echoed through the pain. It can't be.

Thuckkk!!

An arrow passed through his body, and blood spilled through the gaping wound.

There was nothing she could do but to shout. To cry.

The executioner came, hauling the sword before that crazy prince finally swung it down and cut off his head. And at that moment, the roars of the crowd that had made her head pound dissolved into nothing in her ears. Her vision tunneled, and despite the thousands of people that had to have been there, all she could see was his... limp, decapitated body.

Her heart stopped. Tears fell from her eyes, blurring her vision.

The bastard didn't stop, even going so far as to desecrate his corpse. Serene could only grit her teeth in pain as she saw that her husband's heart ripped out of his chest, the prince raising it high in front of the masses.

She couldn't believe it. The only thing that was left of him was the golden heart that was still beating in the prince's hand.

Suddenly, the strangest thing happened.

The golden heart started to pour out blood… Initially, it had only squirted out a little bit at first, but soon enough, it was as though a wave of blood was overflowing the prince's hand.

The prince and every single one of the elves were stunned.

Especially when the blood began to form into a figure. A male elf with long, flowing white hair.

"Tristan!!"

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Written by Avans, Published exclusively by W.e.b.n.o.v.e.l,