Prologue
It was the dead of winter in the kingdom of Nettles; the largest of the Demòn kingdoms. The forest that circled around the entire kingdom, was covered in a thick blanket of snow. The moon's light shone brightly that night, causing the snow to twinkle.
Lorde Mares' estate sat along the northern border of Nettles. The back of his home facing the forest.
Analeigh Mare paced back and forth in front of the mantel in their room. She couldn't sleep. Not with all the commotion her husband was making downstairs.
She glanced out the window and sighed. Another full moon. Her husband, Rupert, seemed to loose his mind completely when the moon was full. His jealousy took full control of him.
She thought his jealousy would have gotten better after their daughter was born. Analeigh was wrong about that. The birth of their daughter, Dahlia, only intensified Rupert's madness. He had convinced himself that the child was not his.
Analeigh was deep in thought when a carriage pulled up. The neighing from the horses snapped her out of it.
"What in the hell is he up to?", she thought. It was nearing midnight. Just then, she heard her husband storm up the stairs. Analeigh was expecting their bedroom door to burst open next.
She heard the door slam open. It wasn't their bedroom door though. She then heard Dahlia start to scream. Analeigh rushed over to the door to open it right as it came swinging open.
There stood Rupert in the doorway. He filled the frame, standing at 6'3" tall and built. He looked completely disheveled, his dark hair a mess, with a mad look in his eyes.
Analeigh froze in place with fear. Thoughts racing through her mind.
Why did he wake Dahlia so abruptly?
What is he up to?
What's the carriage for? And why in the middle of the night?
Analeigh spotted Dahlia, swaddled up, in Ruperts' arm. She instictually reached out for her 1 year old baby. Wanting to keep her safe from her unpredictable husband.
Rupert grabbed onto analeighs' hair at her scalp and snatched her up.
"I've got you now you fucking whore!" He snarled.
"I knew you were cheating on me!! She looks nothing like me!!" Rupert shouted as he stormed out of their bedroom, dragging Analeigh along. She pleaded with him to stop with this madness while he pulled her down the stairs.
"I've always been faithful to you my Lorde!" Analeigh cried out as her husband threw her down on the landing. Rupert scoffed at her words. He reached down for her as she tried to get up to get away from him.
It was no use, he was much bigger then her. He had her hair wrapped around his hand once more. He pulled her up to his eye level. Her beautiful icy grey eyes were full of fear, while his normally amber eyes, were dark with hate.
"I'm going to make you regret what you've done to us." Rupert said coldly.
Analeigh started sobbing, her head was throbbing with pain. "I haven't done anything to us! I swear it!"she said in between sobs.
Rupert started towards the door with them. Analeigh struggled, trying to get him to stop. "Please..Please...please stop this husband!! I beg of you!" She cried out to him.
He let out a wicked laugh as they passed through the front door. "It's too late for apologies my dear wife. Maybe if you admit what you've done, then I might be able to forgive you then", he said.
"I will not admit to something I haven't done. I've never even flirted with another man since our engagement! " she stated.
They neared the carriage. Dahlia started to cry. The wind was blowing harshly, which made the freezing temperature seem that much colder.
"Hush up!" Rupert said sternly to their baby.
"Stop this Rupert! This is insanity!" Analeigh screamed out, trying to free herself from her husbands grip.
"It's much too late for that! Open the door sir! Your cargo is ready." Said Rupert.
"Wait..wait! Where are you sending us?! Rupert, please!" She questioned him as he pushed her into the carriage. He shoved Dahlia into her arms and slammed the door shut.
"The Dene", he repiled with a sinister smile on his face.
"No, noo, no Rupert please!! Please anything but that!!" She screamed out.
Rupert just turned around and headed back inside their home as the carriage started off. Analeigh continued crying inside of the carriage as they rode off. She tried soothing her daughter as she thought of ways to free them from a future of slavery.
