The journey to Lunaris, which is the Dragon Kingdom, felt endless. Hours had already passed since the carriage left my father's kingdom, yet we still had not arrived. The roads grew darker as evening slowly approached, and the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the distant mountains. Inside the carriage, silence surrounded me heavily, broken only by the sound of the horses pulling the wheels across the rough road. My entire body ached painfully from sitting in the same position for so long, but the discomfort did not matter compared to the fear slowly consuming my heart.

Since the moment the carriage departed, my chest had not stopped tightening with fear. Every second that passed only reminded me that I was being taken closer to my death. Tonight, I would meet the man who was now called my husband... King Vaelor. And before dawn arrived, I too would become another dead bride added to his long list of victims.

I knew almost nothing about him.

Only his name.

Vaelor.

People who had seen him often described him as dangerously handsome, the most charming man alive, blessed with a face capable of making any woman fall to her knees. They said his blue eyes alone were enough to make people forget how terrifying he truly was. Some women within the kingdoms even called him beautiful like a god, though those same mouths spoke of him with fear afterward. But none of that mattered to me. Beauty meant nothing when it belonged to a monster. What good was a handsome face stained with the blood of twenty women? Every story I had ever heard about King Vaelor ended the same way... with death.

Lost deeply in my thoughts, I suddenly felt the carriage come to a stop. The movement startled me slightly, causing my breath to catch painfully inside my throat. Outside, I could hear guards speaking quietly among themselves before the carriage door slowly opened. Cold night air rushed inside immediately, making small chills crawl across my skin.

"Princess Aurora Nightbane," a guard announced respectfully. "Welcome to Kingdom Lunaris."

Slowly, I lifted my eyes.

The sight before me made my stomach twist.

Standing proudly beneath the moonlight was a massive castle, far larger than anything I had ever seen before. Dark silver towers stretched high into the sky while glowing blue flames burned upon giant dragon statues near the entrance. The cold wind blowing through the palace grounds carried an eerie feeling that made shivers crawl slowly down my spine. Fear settled heavily inside me almost instantly. Sweat formed against my skin despite the freezing air around us.

For several long moments, I could not move.

My body refused to stand.

I remained frozen inside the carriage, staring fearfully at the castle that might soon become my grave.

"Princess Aurora?" the guard called again, pulling me back to reality.

I blinked slowly before noticing his outstretched hand waiting to help me down. My trembling eyes remained fixed upon his hand for several seconds before I finally gathered enough courage to place my shaking fingers into his palm.

Carefully, I stepped down from the carriage.

The moment my feet touched the ground, I noticed several people standing outside the castle in a straight line. Servants and guards all stood silently waiting for my arrival. But the moment their eyes landed upon me, their expressions immediately changed.

Pity.

That was all I saw on their faces.

Some lowered their heads sadly while others whispered among themselves. A few even shook their heads slowly as though mourning someone already dead.

And I understood why.

To them, I was not truly a new queen arriving at Lunaris Kingdom.

I was simply the next victim.

The twenty-first bride destined to die before sunrise.

My chest tightened painfully as I followed behind the guard toward the large open doors of the castle. The servants bowed respectfully as I passed them, and despite the fear nearly swallowing me whole, I still forced a small weak smile onto my lips.

The inside of the castle was even more breathtaking than the outside. Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling while silver candles flickered softly against the dark walls. Giant dragon symbols were carved beautifully into the marble floor beneath my feet while expensive paintings and ancient silver decorations filled every corner of the hallway.

Everything looked beautiful.

Soon, a maid stepped forward and bowed politely before me.

"My Lady," she said, "please follow me to your room."

Without speaking, I quietly followed behind her.

As we walked down the long hallway, my eyes slowly wandered across the walls.

That was when I noticed large framed portraits hanging one after another endlessly along the hallway walls. Every portrait was a name carefully written in silver letters.

First Wife.

Second Wife.

Third Wife.

My breathing slowly became uneven as my eyes continued moving across the endless portraits.  I did not need anyone to explain what these portraits meant.

These were the women King Vaelor had married and killed.

Twenty innocent women whose lives ended inside this castle.

And by tomorrow morning... my own portrait would likely hang beside theirs.

The thought alone nearly made my legs give out.

When we finally reached a large door at the end of the hallway, the maid gently pushed it open for me.

I slowly stepped inside the room.

The moment I entered, a cold chill immediately ran down my spine. The room was beautiful beyond imagination, decorated with silver curtains, glowing candles, and a massive bed resting at the center of the room

.

Yet despite its beauty, fear wrapped tightly around my heart. All I could think about was how many women had probably stood inside this same room before me... terrified and waiting for death just like I was now.

"My Lady," the maid spoke softly behind me, "the king... your husband... shall be joining you soon."

My breath instantly caught in my throat.

And before I could say anything, the maid turned and quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.

Leaving me alone,  waiting for the arrival of the monster I was forced to marry.