The last thing she remembered before the darkness took her, was the warmth of her father's hands as he held her.

When she woke up again, the first thing she saw was a beautiful white tree floating in darkness.

It turned to dust as she watched. It had been the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen.

But that couldn't be right it must have been a hallucination of some sort, after all she was blind.

— — — — — — — — — —

As my eyes fluttered open, what greeted me wasn't the pitch black darkness, that I had known for as long as I could remember. But light, golden rays of sunlight streamed into the chamber.

As I looked around I realized, that I didn't know where I was. The chamber was small and sparsely furnished. Other than the simple mahogany bed I was lying on, there was only a dressing table, two wooden chairs and an old frayed rug.

The most notable thing in the room was an ornate Grandfather's clock. Encased in polished wood, the main clock face was covered in elaborate gold filigree and studded with colourful gems. Strangely, the symbols on the clock although completely unfamiliar to me were somehow comprehensible.

As I looked at the clock mesmerized, there was a creak of the door opening. A woman dressed in a black and white maid uniform walked into the room. She was unlike anyone else I had ever seen.

Her body was that of an ordinary human woman but her head was that of a black cat. She looked at me with her beady amber eyes, appraising me.

After a while she spoke in a high pitched voice, "I see milady has found the present to her liking. Your uncle had it specially made for you."

I tried to answer her but in my shock, no words came out. I was too stunned at seeing such an inhuman being, talking to me so nonchalantly.

As I gawked at her, she slowly strutted towards me carrying a tray. "You must be nervous. Today's your special day after all", she sighed as she looked at me with pity. I noticed that on the tray there were, several glass vials and crystalline bottles filled with mysterious liquids. As I was wondering what they were for, I was snapped out of of my reverie by the catwoman.

"Come with me milady, you need to be groomed", she said.

I got up and followed her silently, as she guided me down many long twisting corridors.

The walls were covered with tapestries and I even saw several suits of armour. All these were reminiscent of a traditional European castle, so I wondered how I had suddenly gotten here, a place remarkably similar to a medieval British castle.

The catwoman had stopped in front of a massive oak door. And as she unbolted the door and pushed it open we entered a magnificent bathhouse.

Compared to the plain and simple room I woke up in, this bathhouse seemed to belong to another world.

Dozens of pools of hot water steamed in the chilly morning air. The entirety of the cavernous bathhouse seemed to be made from polished white marble. The walls were sculpted into numerous elaborate motifs and the high ceiling ended in a gigantic glass dome.

The catwoman led me to one of the side rooms of the bath. There as I stood in front of one of the many floor–length mirrors I saw my refection.It was not how I remembered it.

I had the same pale skin that I remembered, but that is where the resemblance ended. I was taller, my breasts were fuller, my irises green instead of the blue I knew them to be.

Gone was my scraggly blonde hair. I gasped, as I saw that instead, I had fiery red leaves for hair now. My ears had also grown long and pointed and even my teeth were all just two rows of sharp canines. I realised that this was not my body.

Where was I? What was happening to me? Had I died and become a spirit of some sort, and was now possessing this body? Or had I been reborn or something? Or was this all just a near death hallucination and my body was lying paralysed in some hospital ward? I wondered.

I got shaken out of my thoughts by the catwoman as she said, "Could you disrobe, milady?"

I withdrew a few steps and asked in a panicked voice, "What do you mean?"

Being an invalid, I had been bathed by the nurses for as long as I could remember. But that didn't mean I was comfortable getting naked in front of this inhuman stranger.

She purred as she repeated, "No need to be embarrassed milady, I have raised you since you were barely a month old."

Saying so, she reached out to disrobe me and though her touch was gentle, it was firm. She had swift hands, and even before I could mount a resistance, I stood naked, before her.

As I stood there shivering in the cold morning air, trying to cover up my somewhat modest breasts, she uncorked one of the glass vials that she had brought with her and poured out a clear fragrant liquid.

She smeared some of the oil on my back tracing the line of my spine. I felt her gently massage the muscles of my back. And as I stood there she went on to knead my shoulders.

I stood there rigid and frozen, as she started speaking while massaging me, "This is an ancient custom of the Fae. Whenever the faerie folk have to embark on any significant endeavour they first cleanse themselves with the seven holy oils. It is believed to purify the body, mind and soul."

She paused, when she noticed me flinch as she started rubbing the oil over my breasts. So, to help me relax, she started humming a song under her breath, as her fingers deftly circled my nipples. Although, I didn't know the words, the gesture calmed me a little. So, I closed my eyes and tried to relax, as she rubbed oils and ointments all over my body.

Once she was done, she led me to one of the many pools in the bathhouse. As I sat in the pool enjoying the hot water, she washed me carefully. After my bathing was done she covered me in a long white robe, and led me to another room down the hallway.

This room was richly furnished with velvet sofas and embroidered rugs, on the walls were hung many beautiful tapestries. And from the ceiling hung a magnificent crystal chandelier.

The catwoman sat me on a stool in front of an ornate mirror, as she brought out an ivory comb and started braiding my fiery red, leafy, hair. She proceeded pull out several tiny golden bells from a pouch and started tying them into my hair.

I was growing anxious by the moment, so I somehow gathered my courage and asked her, "W–What is the special event that is going to happen today?" Her nimble hands stilled, as she turned me around to face her.

Her voice was tinged with worry as she asked, "What do you mean milady? Today you are supposed to get married to the eldest son of the Duke of Nova."

My breath caught in my throat as I looked at her dumbstruck. It was a while later that I somehow managed to stammer out, "N–No. I–It can't be. I–I can't get married. I have to go."

I hurriedly stood up, I knew I had to escape from here. I had to run away from all these insane things, that had happened to me today. I wanted my old life back.

Even though I was a blind invalid in that life, at least I had a loving father and everything made sense.

But I had not walked unaided for years and I certainly was not used to running. So as I tried to run, I tripped and collapsed on the floor. As the catwoman rushed to me to help me get up, the doors to the room were thrown open and a tall, pale man, walked into the room.

He was dressed in spotless white robes bearing gold trim. The silver leaves of his hair were neatly combed back, his scraggly beard a matching silver in colour.

His eyes were a stormy grey, and a long, jagged scar ran down the left side of his face. His ears, longer than mine were adorned with several rings. As his sharp gaze bore into me, I stood up shakily.

"Bring the dress", he commanded, as another inhuman maid, this one with the head of a wolf, carried in, a beautiful emerald dress adorned with gold sequins.

It glowed faintly, in the light of the braziers. "I have selected this personally for my niece. She is to wear this for today's ceremony", he declared.

The catwoman bowed low and said, " As you command, milord." He nodded and as he turned to leave, I somehow gathered my strength and called out, "Uncle!"

He stopped and turned around to face me, his face blank of any emotions.

I pleaded, "U–Uncle, I—I am not ready for this. I don't want to get married. P–Please c–call off the engagement."

He walked up to me slowly stopping right in front of me. He looked me in the eyes and as I raised my head to meet his gaze I felt a stinging pain on my right cheek, as his slap sent me reeling to the ground.

He knelt down on the floor and grabbed a fistful of my hair, as he pulled my face towards himself.

His words sent a chill down my spine, as he whispered, "Do you think you can do whatever you wish, just because I haven't punished you in the last few years? Your father made the wrong choice, twelve years ago and the price for that mistake, we are paying even today.

Ours was an Earldom as old as this land, but because of his foolishness we now stand reduced to a mere Viscounty.

The lands of our forefathers forfeit, we suffer in debt and penury. Begging scraps from the tables of others we barely eke out a survival.

Our only salvation lies in this marriage alliance, with the Ducal House of Nova. Not only will our debts be forgiven, but we will also be reinstated to our lost ranks and titles.

To achieve this, you must perform your duty faithfully. I do not care what you want. Either you will do this, or you will die!

And do not consider this to be an empty threat, for those who have, rot beneath the Earth today."

"You must pay for your father's sins", he spat, as he turned away and left, slamming the door behind him.

Tears filled my eyes, as I started sobbing uncontrollably. The threat of death, the forced marriage, the pain flaring through my face, all of it caught up to me, as I broke down in tears. I felt lost and alone, and as I sobbed, I felt a pair of hands hold me gently. The catwoman held me while I cried.

And when my tears had dried, I said in a hoarse voice, " Thank you. . .?" She somehow understood my unasked question and with her voice tinged with worry, she said,

"My name is Leah. I was given to your mother as a slave. But she always treated me like a friend. I owe her my life. So, after she passed away I tried to raise you in her stead.

I do not know what has happened to you milady. But know this, no matter what, I'll always be on your side."

As I looked into her inhuman, amber eyes, I felt the kindness within, and for the first time since I came to this world, I felt that I wasn't completely alone.

She helped me to my feet and as she looked me up and down, she noticed that the right side of my face had started to bruise. On seeing the bruise her face darkened, and she let out an almost cat like hiss.

She asked me to stand still. And as I did, I suddenly saw her amber eyes starting to glow a liquid gold. And as I watched on in awe, she started to chant something under her breath. Her fingers touched the right side of my face and I felt a warmth spreading through my face. As the warmth spread, the pain subsided and the bruise faded away, leaving my porcelain white skin unblemished.

Dumbfounded, I stammered out, "W–What was that just now?" The gold faded away from Leah's amber eyes, as she said, "Just a simple healing spell. Now come with me, we need to get you dressed."

I had been bedecked in jewels. On each of my ears, I wore three rings each made from a different metal. I wore a string of pearls, each of them as big as my fist.

My leafy red hair was decorated with countless tiny golden bells, and my eyes had been lined with kohl. Dressed in the emerald green dress, I sat at the high table with my Uncle and cousins, waiting for the groom to arrive.

I stewed in anxiety, my only hope being to convince my future husband to give me some time before consummating the marriage. I wasn't ready to start a married life yet, but I knew that if my partner turned out to be a kind, honest man I could bear with it. Leah had told me a little about my prospective in–laws.

The House of Nova was one of three most powerful Houses in the Realm. Currently, as the Emperor was still in his minority, the true rulers were the nobles of the High Council. And the Novas, being one of the most influential Houses on the Council, held an extremely prominent position at the Seelie Court.

This was why my uncle sought an alliance with the Novas. According to Leah, the reason the Novas were interested in this marriage was because of House Starfall's pedigree.

Leah said, that bloodline and lineage were very important to the Fae. And although, House Nova was powerful, it remained a relatively young Noble House. While House Starfall, was an Ancient Noble House, that traced it's descent right from the time of the Founding back in the Golden Age.

It was because of this political maneuvering that I had to marry Darius Nova, eldest son of the Duke of Nova.

I was broken out of my reverie as the sound of trumpets blared outside, signalling the arrival of the Duke.

A little while later, the Duke and his retinue entered the Great Hall. The Duke was a portly, middle–aged man, dressed in ostentatious robes of brightly coloured silks and furs.The leaves of his hair had mostly fallen off with age, and what few remained was tied back in a ponytail.

On his head rested a golden coronet encrusted with rubies–a symbol of his status as one of the High Nobles of the Realm.

The Novas proceeded to join us at the high table, as their retainers seated themselves down, at the lower tables.

As my uncle engaged the Duke in conversation, a handsome bronze–skinned man walked up to me. He was fashionably dressed in a long turquoise coat , the auburn leaves of his hair pulled back in a long braid.

However, unlike most of the nobles at the banquet, he wore a sword on his waist.

An impolite gesture some may say, considering it was an old custom, for those of noble blood, to attend social occasions such as banquets unarmed.

The sword itself, however was peculiar, it was neither a longsword nor a broadsword, like the ones, that I had seen the guards carrying. It had a long curved blade, like that of a scimitar.

As I examined his sword, he suddenly smiled at me and said,

"Milady, I am Darius Nova, eldest son and heir of the Duke of Nova. I see that my sword has caught your attention. It is one of a kind, said to have been retrieved from a Rift. It was given to me by father on my sixteenth nameday "

As he said so, he unsheathed the blade and presented it to me, to admire. As I gently ran my fingers over it's golden hilt, I noticed that on the blade were inscribed many mysterious symbols.

As I returned the blade to him I said, "It truly is a magnificent sword, milord. Now, please let me introduce myself. I am Ariana Starfall, niece of the Viscount of Starfall. It is a pleasure to meet you milord."

He smirked as he said, "No need for all the formalities, after all we will soon be husband and wife. Just call me by my name, Ariana."

I blushed, as I uttered his name, "D–Darius." He chuckled, as he replied, "You are just too cute, Ariana." I flushed red, at his compliment, as he sat down next to me.

Dinner passed by in a blur. There were delicacies of all kinds.

There was glazed venison, steaks and pork chops. Platters heaped with blood sausages, meat pies and skewers.There were soups and broths for those with lighter palates. And exquisitely crafted pastries and cakes, topped with various exotic fruits, were served for dessert.

Amongst it all, wine and ale flowed freely and I saw Darius drink both in plenty as he jested with his companions. I ate very little, and although Darius tried to converse with me several times I wasn't very responsive.

As the feasting continued, the minstrels accompanied the revelry with their song and music and the fragrant aroma of burning incense filled the hall.

My head was hurting, I was anxious, and it felt like I would throw up whatever little I had eaten. I tried to reason with myself, that, Darius seemed to be a gentleman by all accounts. He would surely understand, if I explained my situation to him and convinced him to agree, to hold off consummating our marriage.

I had no other choice after all, I couldn't escape with all these guards lurking around here. Moreover, I remembered my uncle's chilling words. I knew that he wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I came in the way of his ambition.

The Sun had started to set when the feasting concluded.

It was in the open, under the backdrop of the orange sky, that the ceremony was to be held.The Fae believed in the sanctity of the setting Sun, and as such all Fae weddings took place at the twilight hour, out in the open.

Both me and Darius stood silently, as a Bishop of the Triumvirate Church started the ceremony.

He intoned, "With the power vested in me by the Three Monarchs of Paradise, I hereby call this ceremony to order. Lords and Ladies of the Realm, as you all know the appearance of the Black Sun symbolises the birth of a New Age. The Astrologers of the Imperium have confirmed the sighting of the Black Sun yesterday. This means that today is an extremely auspicious occasion, being the first day of the Ninth Age.

And as such I firmly believe, that this opportune union between two of the most ancient Houses of the Realm bodes well, for the future of all of Faerie kind."

The Bishop asked us to make our vows. Darius made the traditional promise of protection and I, as taught by Leah, pledged eternal loyalty and fidelity to him and his House.

It was followed by the exchange of Heartstrings. Which were rings made from one's Heart Leaf. The Heart Leaf was the first leaf hair that a child grew. It was plucked and preserved, and then fashioned into simple rings called Heartstrings on their wedding day, to be used in the ceremony.

The ceremony wore on, and it was only when the Bishop called on the Gods for their blessings, was the ceremony finally concluded.

After the ceremony ended, the two of us were made to sit on a wooden throne in the middle of the Great Hall. The makeshift throne was designed too small to accommodate both of us, so I had to sit on Darius' lap. And as he held me, the guests approached us one by one, to present to us their gifts.

My uncle was first. He gave us expensive silks and furs, jewellery and exotic perfumes, alongside the ornate Grandfather's Clock I had earlier seen.

After we had accepted his gifts and thanked him for his generosity, instead of taking his leave, he suddenly turned to look at me.

I found his sharp gaze boring into me as he said, "I have something of yours", and as he gestured, I saw Leah come forward and bow. He continued,

" This slave originally belonged to your mother, and after her death it chose to stay behind in the manor to serve you. And now that you are married, it is only right that it continues to serve you."

Saying so, he handed me a silver ring with a clear, white stone on top of it. As he gave me the ring, he informed me that it was Leah's Command Ring.

The Command Ring not only prevented the slave from harming their master, but it also compelled them to faithfully execute their master's orders, even if it was against their own will.

After him, my cousins followed with their gifts. Other than the typical gifts of silks and perfumes, one of them surprisingly gifted Darius with an enchanted flask, that could carry up to a hundred gallons of wine.

After they were done, the Duke stood up. His loud voice boomed around the Hall, as he said,

"Our House has always prided itself in its strong women. Many of our women have fought on battlefields, led campaigns and won wars. In fact my mother was a Royal Mage who was martyred in the Blood Wars.

We believe that the duty of the wife is not only to stay by her husband's side, but also, to fight alongside him on the battlefield with steel in hand, if required to do so.

So today I gift you this Dark Iron sword 'Nightshade'. It has long been in our family and is a treasured heirloom. It earlier belonged to my mother and from today it will belong to you, daughter."

He motioned for me to come and claim the sword. I offered my gratitude to the Duke as I took the blade from him, gingerly.

The black leather sheath had lilacs embroidered on it. And as I unsheathed the blade slowly, I noticed that it was made from a glossy black material, a lot like obsidian, but stronger and sharper than even iron.

The blade itself was only sixteen inches long, far too short to be a longsword. The hilt was made from a bendy, silvery material that made it light and flexible, and on it's tip was fused a blood red gem.

As I raised the shortsword skywards a cheer went up from the retainers of House Nova. I flourished the blade shakily for a bit, before sheathing it carefully.

As I resumed my seat, the Duke's retainers, minor nobles and landed knights, all came up one by one to present us with their gifts. It all went by in a haze of countless names and faces, as I sat there like a lifeless doll, nodding politely at their empty words.

The festivities were drawing to a close and with every passing moment, I grew more nervous. The Sun had set hours ago, and now the stars shone brightly in the moonless sky. Night had come, and soon it would be time to consummate the marriage, I thought with growing dread.

It was then that Darius stood up and said, "I know this is unusual, but I have actually prepared a present for my beautiful wife."

As he said so, a hulking, muscular man slowly stepped forward and kneeled before me. He was over seven feet tall, his skin was a pure midnight black. His head was cleanly shaven–in fact he seemed to be completely hairless. He wore only a white cloth, tied around his waist, leaving the top half of his body bare. A pair of curved shortswords were tied to his waist.

As I looked him over, Darius continued, "The Triumvirate Church has a special Order known as the Einherjar. The Order recruits young, from amongst the orphans, as they have no ties to the world.

They are castrated so that they are not distracted by mere pleasures of the flesh. And when they attain nine years of age, their training begins. It lasts for seven years. During this, they receive rigorous training in combat, the healing arts and theology.Some of the more promising ones, are also trained in the Arts of War and Peace.

They are then auctioned off as slaves to powerful Noble Houses and Royalty. Their purpose is to serve them as companions, confidantes and advisors.To guide them on the path of righteousness and truth.

This is Ismael, he is one of the Einherjar. He is my gift to you Ariana. He will protect you and serve you faithfully, for as long as he lives."

I thanked Darius, as he handed me another Command Ring, identical to the one my uncle had given me for Leah.

The merrymaking still continued and would probably last all night. But that didn't matter to me, I thought, as Darius carried me to our nuptial chambers.

He was drunk, as was evident from his shambling gait, but still he somehow managed to carry me, as we entered the chamber.

The room was beautifully decorated with countless flowers. Perfumed candles burned, spreading a fragrant aroma throughout the room. Darius sat me down on the bed as he went to bolt the door shut.

Soon, he was sitting beside me, playing with my hair. He looked at me with his big blue eyes and as a playful smile grazed his lips said,

"You are very beautiful, Ariana."

I blushed immediately, as he started gently caressing my face. He looked into my eyes, and as my heartbeat grew faster he leaned in and gently kissed my cheek.

Then he repeated the motion as he gently pecked my other cheek. But then as he moved in to kiss me on the lips, I hastily pulled away.

He looked at me confused, as I stammered out, "I–I am sorry D–Darius, but I can't do this, I am not ready for this. It was only this morning that I learned that I would be getting married and although you are very nice, I can't sleep with you right now. If you could wait a year or two, I think it would be fine then."

His confused expression was replaced with a blank, empty look. Gone was the playfulness, gone was the tenderness, as he said in a flat, emotionless voice, "I can't do that, we need to consummate this marriage right now."

And as I looked on in horror, he pushed me down onto the bed and pinned me under his weight.

He stank of alcohol and sweat, and as his stench tried to overpower my senses, I fought back. I tried to scratch his face with my nails, but he swatted my hand away effortlessly, as he tried to unbuckle the strap of my dress. I tried to push him off me but it was to no avail, he was too heavy.

Although, I felt hopeless, I didn't want to submit to him, so even as tears blurred my vision, I bit into his fingers and tasted blood. He let out a yelp of pain which quickly changed into a snarl as he slapped me across the face.

As the pain from the slap flared across my face, he tore open the last strap holding the dress together. And as my breasts spilled out into the open, he pawed at them, pinching and twisting my nipples cruelly.

But suddenly he stopped, and looked at me for a moment. He reached out and touched my face gently, but I immediately flinched from his repulsive touch.

He leaned in and whispered, "I am sorry but this must be done. For the sake of both our Houses." For a moment he almost looked sorrowful. But it was immediately replaced by a look of stony indifference, as he took off his trousers.

I pleaded, "Please..... Don't do it" as tears streamed down my face. But he ignored my pleas, as he thrust into me roughly, piercing my maidenhead.

Blood stained the sheets crimson. I might have screamed, I do not remember. The next thing I remember is him rolling off me after he was done, as I lay there like a corpse, soundless and motionless.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him put on his clothes in silence and get up to leave. As he opened the door, he stopped and looked at me, and said, "I am sorry", then he turned around and left, closing the door behind him.

— — — — — — — — — —

As I lay there, I felt defeated. It was over I knew, but I also knew that my heart was broken and that it would never be whole again.

Suddenly the door to the chamber opened and as I tried to hurriedly cover myself, I saw Leah enter. She had tears in her eyes as she knelt down by my bedside, and started casting healing spells on me. When she was done, I heard her say,

"I am sorry milady I wasn't able to save you." I choked back a sob as I shook my head. I knew it wasn't her fault there was nothing she could have done.

She drew me a bath in a wooden tub. And as she washed me, she hummed the song she had sung earlier to calm me in the morning, in what felt like ages ago. The song was a lullaby of some sort, she probably used to sing it to this Ariana girl, when she was a child.

After we were done, she replaced the bloodied sheets with fresh ones and tucked me in for sleep. As she was about to leave, I asked her in a hoarse voice, "Leah, could you stay?" She silently pulled up a chair by my bedside and sat down.

I didn't wish to think about the earlier events, so for the sake of a distraction I asked her, "Leah, are you not Fae?"

She looked at me curiously for a moment before replying, "I am not Fae. I am not anything honestly. But long ago, I used to be human. I was captured during the Blood Wars, when the Fae raided my village.

The Fae only enslave those possessing magic aptitude. And when they do so, they cast a curse on them to brand them as theirs. I was one of those deemed to possess the suitable magical aptitude, so I was cursed into my current form."

I was genuinely interested now, so I asked, "Is it irreversible?"

Leah said, "Only freeing the slave will break the curse, it is said. But no one knows for sure. Fae are very possessive of their property. So, it has been eons since any slave was liberated."

Leah was a really good person, she didn't deserve to be enslaved against her will. She had already suffered for decades as a creature caught in between. She was rejected by human society who considered her an abomination, and even among the Fae she was doomed to always remain an outsider.

Moreover, Leah had been kind to me. I knew what had to be done, as I looked at the Command Ring on my index finger.

I turned to look at Leah, at her feline features, her black fur, her whiskers and her amber eyes. She looked so inhuman, but I knew, that she had the most humanity of them all.

I looked at her and smiled as I said, "Leah! I Ariana Starfall, your Master, hereby grant you your freedom!"

There was a loud cracking sound, as the Command Ring shattered.

Leah looked up at me surprised, as her face began to morph, her fur fell off, and her eyes changed from amber to a somber grey. Instead of the catwoman I knew as Leah, sat a middle–aged woman. Her black hair lined with grey, her eyes a stormy grey and her face wrinkled with the passage of years, her appearance had completely changed.

As she touched her face gingerly, feeling the changes, I said, "Leah you are no longer a slave. If you wish to, you may leave .... Or", I continued softly, " You may choose to stay."

Leah looked up at me with tears in her eyes. And as our teary gazes met, she wrapped me in an embrace and said,

"Silly girl, of course, I will stay."