The wedding day was knocking on the door in no time.

The kingdom was bustling with happiness, every other person was out on the streets, most of them were dressed nicely and a few were dressed normally, like any other day. People were gossiping and dancing in groups on every other street, enjoying themselves to the fullest.

The atmosphere in the castle was no different. A low violin was playing in the hall of the castle. Every other guest was nicely dressed in royalty. Maids and servants were walking around with trays in their hands that held juice and wine glasses.

Everyone was busy gossiping until the groom arrived. 

Sasha took a deep heavy breath. A deep crease of a frown settled on her forehead. She wasn't feeling good or happy at all. Instead, she felt like crying. She was dearly missing her family and was on the verge of tears.

Once she was married to Jasper, she was bound to him for life.

Only if things went the right way.

She prayed to God to give her patience to deal with Jasper if he treats her like she doesn't exist.

Sasha was dressed in a white floral wedding dress. It was perfectly kissing her upper body, and it had a large floral from down. She had a thin white veil covering her face. Her hair was nicely slicked back in a puffy bun and a little makeup was applied on her face that gave her even more of a softer look.

While she was sitting on the couch of her room, busy biting her nails while feeling extremely sad and nervous, the door of her room opened and the old granny walked in.

The old granny was also dressed nicely in a baby pink color dress. She paused and stared at Sasha for a good while before settling down beside her on the couch.

"What's with that face?" The old granny asked and Sasha huffed a sigh, looking away.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sasha asked ever so slowly. 

"You're sad." The old granny let out and heaved a sigh.

"I know, you don't have any feelings for Jasper but we're doing this for your own good." The old granny said and Sasha scoffed.

"You and I are both delusional. If I marry and that monster still comes at us, things will get even worse because of this marriage and I think he's exactly waiting for that before showing up." Sasha said and the granny shook her head while clicking her tongue.

"Let's forget about him. Everyone is waiting for you, let's go." The granny said, cutting the topic and immediately getting up. She helped Sasha up and helped her walk out of the room while grabbing her floral from behind.

Before they stepped out of the room.

"Remember, not to give them any excuse to talk to you," Granny said, indirectly telling Sasha to smile and act happy even though she wasn't feeling like it.

Sasha stepped out of the room and she was handed a bouquet of white roses. 

Upon reaching the entrance gates of the hall, the granny let go of her dress, fixed the floral of the dress, and stepped back. Sasha took a deep breath, getting herself ready when she heard the guard yelling in the hall that Princess Sasha was about to enter. 

With that, the huge gates of the hall were opened and she began to walk on the red carpet that was leading to the aisle. The guests started to clap ever so slowly and elegantly. Every pair of eyes were fixed on her.

A soft smile was kissing her features.

She slowly raised her eyes and looked at Jasper who was standing on the aisle with a faint smile on his face. He looked handsome as always but her eyes were searching for someone else as they roamed around the hall.

She saw Fiona but his extraordinary presence was nowhere.

Where was King Ragnar?

Once she reached Jasper, he forwarded his hand towards her and she took it. He smiled at her and she passed him a smile as well. The ceremony began and they took their vows. Sasha tried her best not to be hesitant because the decision was made and there was no going back.

"You may kiss the bride." The priest said and Jasper stepped forward. Sasha swallowed thickly, praying inside that he didn't kiss her on the lips. He raised her veil, smiled at her, and leaned in. Just as she feared, he kissed her right on her lips.

It was a deep peck.

Everyone started to clap once the priest officially announced them as husband and wife. The king and queen of the logon kingdom. Everyone was happy except the bride herself but she continued to smile the brightest because that's what she gotta do from now onwards.

The celebration began and the guests started to greet them one by one. Wishing the new couple a happy and blessed life. Fiona also walked up to them with a huge yet elegant smile on her face. She happily congratulated them and Sasha noticed how the light in Jasper's eyes changed.

Sure, she was not dumb.

She could see the change in his gaze.

Already? Was the thing that crossed her mind.

"Where is our main guest, King Ragnar?" Jasper asked and Sasha's ears immediately perked up. Fiona looked back at the guest and turned back to face the couple.

"He must be here, somewhere. He'll surely come and congratulate you both." Fiona said and Jasper nodded. "He came to our wedding, it's a huge blessing in itself," Jasper said and Sasha almost raised a brow.

So, this man knew he was not the only blessing.

Sasha roamed her eyes around and still found him nowhere. He was a huge man who could be spotted from afar. She didn't understand why she was looking for him and didn't feel quite right about it because deep down she knew exactly why she was looking for him and the thought alone scared her. 

And the feeling of being watched was continuously haunting her.

She couldn't see him, so she gave herself an excuse that she was the bride and everyone would obviously look at her.

She lowered her gaze, shook his thoughts away, and continued to meet the guest, completely unaware that the devil was actually watching her like a hawk.

Dare he pulled his eyes away from her even for a second.

His gaze was dead set on her. He was sitting on a chair in the corner of the hall with a half-filled wine glass in his hand. It was a perfect spot to have a clear view of her. Nothing mattered to him other than the woman standing there in white.

Being patient wasn't his thing.

He so wanted to burn this castle down and drag her down this aisle with him.

What would she do?

What could she even do?

What could anyone else do?

Nothing.

But this wasn't the right moment for all of that. For a sweeter fruit one should be patient.

He really had made that poor little thing go insane but he was a lot more selfish than this.

He knew what he was very well and he held no guilt either, nor was he planning to change.

He was a monster and he gladly accepted it.

Others' fear and terror brought him extreme ecstasy.

For him, nothing really mattered other than his empire and his little wounded butterfly.

Oh, how unfortunate she was. Her kindness rattled her down and brought him to his knees for her.

Oh, how badly he wanted to kiss her, see her helpless struggle, and cry when nothing could get her away from him.

All she could do was cry beautifully for him.

She was someone that made him feel things after so long, he would only let her go when the day he didn't feel any of those feelings for her again.

He wondered if that day would even arrive because he was madly obsessed with that woman.

It all started when he was bored and his uncle gave him something to entertain and feast on.

What was it like when a bored yet malicious soul finds something new to feed on?

Catastrophic.

A powerful one could have the vision of conquering something.

It could either be a kingdom to rule on.

A thing to add to their possessions.

Or a person to prey on.

A single blow against them either had them rattling down on the floor or prowling for their enemies with intensity and madness that was never seen in them before.

Was it the pride that was hurt?

Or just revenge?

Nonetheless, once the enemies are under the claws, life becomes pretty boring and one becomes aimless.

A beast dying to hunt comes across a wounded butterfly, one blow from him and it'd be nothing. Yet it fluttered away with those broken wings and was so hard to hold onto.

A new adventure for him.

An escape attempt from her.

Raking a hand through his long dark silver hair, he gazed at her with his orbs that resembled the moon yet they weren't gentle or generous enough to shine upon you. Eyes of a predator gazing at its prey, prey of someone as disastrous as him.

He kept swirling the wine glass in his hand, his eyes moved with her every action of greeting.

That gentle smile that kissed her features.

The soft, silky, and white fabric that kissed her dainty figure.

Her eyes shined due to happiness but were unable to hide that fear that resides in them at the same time.

She was also unable to hide the love and respect that she had for that man beside her.

The one she was standing so close to.

The one who now owned her.

But...

She was his from the moment he set his eyes on her, no matter if she was in a wedding dress, no matter if she was happy with the one beside her.

Because only he could hold onto her.

Break her or fix her.

All onto his mercy.

Keeping the glass on the table beside him, he stood up straight to his mighty height and began to walk towards the so-called new couple. Every head turned in his direction as he made his way towards them. People on their own getting out of his way and he didn't even have to turn his steps to pass by someone. Men stared at him enviously and women on the other hand were drooling over him. Dreaming to sleep with him once when they were clearly royal females.

Yes, his power was something he was completely aware of.

His eyes zeroed on the hand on Sasha's waist and his jaw twitched, gaze hardening.

"Patience, Patience." He whispered to himself

Sasha smiled at the guests as they walked away after congratulating the couple. She turned to meet the guest who just came before them but as soon as her eyes met his, she paused.

Everything instantly stilled around her.

Her heartbeat quickened.

Upon seeing her reaction, his heart jolted up in sheer excitement as he peered down at her with a hooded gaze. He reminded her of her terror though she wasn't quite sure if it was him.

He knew everything all too well.

"Oh, King Ragnar." Jasper let go of her waist and stepped forward. "Congratulations...to you both." Sasha's heart almost lurched to her mouth upon hearing his voice. It was a deep voice, it had smoothness in it, and he said each word slowly.

Just like him...

Sasha stared at him.

Though she tried her best to act normal like she was being with everyone else but she just couldn't hide the fear that radiated in her eyes.

That aura, that voice...almost everything about this man reminded her of that monster.

He shook hands with Jasper and turned towards Sasha. Before her eyes could meet his again, she lowered her gaze and soon found his large hand in front of her gaze. With breath stuck midway in the throat, she hesitantly raised her hand and put it on his palm, feeling the roughness of his glove and coldness of his fingertips both at the same time. She swallowed thickly when he slowly bent down and raised her hand up to almost its full arm length even when he was bending down.

He was also as huge as that monster.

Every eye in the hall was watching them. Completely stunned by how huge he looked next to the bride.

Of course, he was a king from one of the biggest lineages. Having this kind of physique was considered nothing to him.

Sasha swallowed thickly when he pecked the back of her hand with his clothed lips. Male guests would usually just nod at her, it was not considered a really good thing to kiss the bride's hand on her wedding day which was considered normal on other days but people tried to avoid doing it on the wedding day because the groom wouldn't like it.

The people who did it for fun in some weddings were playfully shushed away by the groom but Jasper stood still on his spot, completely unbothered by it but the guests noticed every other little detail as they began to whisper things to each other.

But the problem was this man before her.

He didn't hesitate to kiss her hand. He didn't look like he would play around either. He looked serious even though only his eyes could be seen. Her eyes slowly widened when she felt his thumb deliberately caressing her soft skin before he let go of her hand.

He nodded once again at Jasper before walking away. Just as he turned around all the whispers instantly died. Sasha silently watched his back but her mind and heart were in chaos.

This man...she needed to avoid him no matter what.

*************

At night time.

When a few guests had already left for their lands, some were resting in their rooms and some were just roaming around in the cold night, enjoying themselves to the fullest considering it their last night here.

Fiona peered at the young couple sitting on the fresh grass of the garden, in the cold night. She drew the curtain back and turned to look at Ragnar.

Ragnar was standing in the middle of the room, dressed in his signature black suit with a heavy black cloak over that suit of his. His dark gray and long hair was resting on his shoulders. Two swords were attached on either side of his sturdy waist, resting in their scabbards. He was wearing long black leather boots that ended just below his knee.

He looked everything but real with that majestic look.

Currently, the guest room he was standing in was indulged in darkness with only one dim lamp in the corner enlightening the room slightly.

His back was facing Fiona while he was facing four men standing before him. They were also wearing cloaks with half of their faces covered like Ragnar.

"My king, we should depart." One of the men said and Ragnar's gaze hardened.

"Yes, I need to teach that witch a little lesson." Ragnar declared and turned towards Fiona as he began to walk towards the window.

Fiona immediately turned towards the window, drew the curtains away, and opened the window before quickly stepping back.

Ragnar paused beside her while staring straight ahead.

"You know what to do." He said.

"Yes, Master. I will not let you down." She said and bowed at him. Without sparing her a single glance, Ragnar jumped out of the window followed by the other four men. Fiona moved forward and looked outside.

They were nowhere in sight.

She looked back at the couple.

A smirk kissed her face as she peered at them while licking her lips.

"Thanks for the food."

Sitting on the bed, still dressed in the wedding gown, Sasha was waiting for Jasper. He would've been here with her but since a few guests were to leave early, he went off to greet them away. He asked her if she wanted to come along but she refused, she was too tired to roam around the castle in this dress.

With a deep sigh, she looked around her new room.

It was one of the biggest rooms in the castle which now belonged to her and Jasper.

The newly wedded couple.

The room was surrounded by candles that were enlightening the room, giving it a decorative look. A pleasant scent was coming out of those candles making her a little sleepy. The room had almost five windows with huge curtains drawn over them.

She yawned and leaned back against the headboard of the bed. She decided to rest her eyes for a while but as soon as she closed her eyes a sound of knock had her jolted up. She looked towards the door wondering who it was but when she heard the sound of knocking again her pupils dilated in shock.

It wasn't the door.

It was the window.

Sasha's eyes widened, her pupils ran over every single window and the noise was coming from the one right in front of her. A shudder ran down her spine when she realized that there was no floor to stand on behind that window.

*Knock* *knock*

A whimper died down on her lips.

She immediately scooted back, pressing her body to the headboard as much as she could.

The loud noise of the wind had her heart rattling followed by knocking.

*Knock* *knock*

Sasha shrieked and jumped off the bed, almost tripping and falling down face-first because of that huge dress of hers. She grabbed her gown in a fist and dashed towards the door. She abruptly opened the door with force and as soon as she stepped out, she halted on her steps.

The pathway looked even more dreadful.

There was not a single soul around the area and the dimly lit lamps were of barely any use. She took a deep breath and stepped back into the room, closing the door. She slowly turned around and looked all over the room before slowly ambling up to the bed.

The knocking has died down.

The wind has calmed down as well.

She slowly sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at the window through her lashes. When no sound of knocking came for a while, she stood up and slowly walked up to that window.

With a deep breath, she raised her sweaty hands and abruptly drew the curtains away from the window. Her heartbeat instantly started to calm down when she found no one standing there. She decided to open the window and look around but little did she know that was a very wrong move from her side.

As soon as she opened the window, a harsh gust of wind slapped her whole, making her stumble back. All the candles were blown out and the room instantly fell into darkness. The only source of light was the dim moonlight that was coming through the open window along with the chilly wind.

All the other windows were slightly rattling.

Sasha covered her eyes with her arm and turned around with a hiss when some dirt got into her eyes. The wind definitely calmed down. It was like as if it was waiting for her to open the window and that knocking was definitely not because of the window. There was someone knocking the window.

All of these abnormal pheromones only screamed one thing and it terrified her.

Before she could turn around to close the window, it felt like the window suddenly got blocked by something. She slowly lowered her arm and her eyes widened when she saw a huge shadow cascading on the wall because of the moonlight. Her wide eyes stared at the shadow. It was not her shadow...it was the shadow of the one standing behind her.

She could feel its presence right behind her.

Her pupils started to throb in horror, she parted her trembling lips with much difficulty, wanting to scream but before the call for help could even form on her tongue, the thing...no, the man behind her clamped his huge hand on her mouth, almost covering all of her face as he pulled her back against his sturdy body.

A cry left her lips that got muffled.

Sasha went numb in terror.

His hand was as cold as ice.

Tears started to form in her eyes.

It was him.

This wasn't a nightmare.

She wasn't in a daze.

It was really him this time.

Tears blurred her sight, she couldn't breathe. Her nose and mouth were both blocked by his huge hand. Her chest started to heave up and down. She was trembling like a leaf.

She flinched when she felt his other hand on her stomach as he pulled her body even more into his. A loud muffled cry left her lips when she felt his cold breath right next to her ear.

Warm tears trickled down her eyes as she caressed his cold hand.

It was him.

She just couldn't digest the fact that it was really him this time.

She didn't even know how many times he showed up before but right now this one was the most realistic one. All of her senses were on high alert.

She even dreaded raising her hands and holding onto his hand in order to pull his hand away from her mouth. She knew he wouldn't let go unless he wanted to.

A muffled sob raked her body but before another one could rattle her again, she froze upon hearing him.

"Shhhhhh."

She stilled.

Her chest continued to heave up and down, and little whimpers remained inside her as she stood still on her spot.

"Good girl."

Her eyes widened when she heard him whisper those words ever so slowly and sensually in her ear. His voice was a deep timbre of the darkest sea.

Sasha jolted, tears began to trickle down her eyes like rainfall when she felt his cold lips on the shell of her ear. He pecked her ear before moving down to her neck. Her eyes widened and her hands on their own moved up and gripped his hand, she began to struggle in his hold but it was of no use.

It just made it worse for her because she held zero strength against this monster.

A new type of terror engulfed her.

Her tearful eyes unconsciously closed in fear when she felt his long and cold tongue licking the warm skin of her neck in an upward motion to her jaw. Pecking her jaw, she felt him moving away. Her eyes snapped open when she felt his hand that was on her stomach move upwards to her hair and the next moment with a click sound her hair rolled down, curtaining her shoulder.

He wrapped his hand around her veil and tugged at it, yanking it off her head. He let go of her mouth making her gasp out loudly as she tried to pull away from him but he yanked her back.

His cold lips lingered over the shell of his ear. She was trembling like a leaf while trying to breathe properly.

She knew even if he let her go she wouldn't be able to run away because her legs were on the brink of giving up.

She was petrified out of her wits the goosebumps of fear on her skin were as evident as ever.

His hot breath was a constant knock of terror in her head. Her heart was pounding with such force she was certain at any second it would burst out of her chest.

She flinched when he grabbed a fist full of her hair and tugged it up on her scalp baring her nape.

She almost shrank into herself when he gave an open-mouthed kiss on her nape. A jolt of shiver ran down her spine when she felt his wet tongue on her skin. She closed her eyes as a shuddering whimper left her lips.

Sasha couldn't handle it anymore.

She couldn't even get herself to snuck a side glance at him.

He let go of her hair making them fall on her shoulder as she felt him retreating. This time he was taking her veil with him.

Without a single noise, the surroundings fell into eerie silence and she couldn't feel his cold presence behind her. She slowly raised her gaze and stared at the wall which now had no shadow cast on it other than hers.

He came, touched her to his liking, and left.

She turned around and quickly closed the window, without even looking outside. Once she locked the window, she began to walk backward and settled down on the edge of the bed.

Tears wouldn't stop pouring out of her eyes.

Her body wouldn't stop trembling.

She never thought, she'd fear someone this much to even forget who she really was.