Dark Lord's Obsession

Chapter 6: Broken Hope

Louisa’s Point of View

I opened my eyes only to find myself on the chesterfield, curled into a little ball. My sore eyes and heavy head were telling the story of yesterday. The only family I had, were after my life and the king of this continent wanted to take me as his concubine. My life changed upside down only after attending my first royal banquet. I could clearly remember crying to sleep last night, thinking about a way out from this dark hole.

Slowly I sat on the chesterfield, leaning against it. Closing my eyes, I tried to calm my nerves. I couldn’t lose my composure at this moment. My father taught me to fight for what was right, and I couldn’t let him down.

Wiping my tears, I stood up. There had to be another way. A sudden thought appeared in my mind. There was indeed a path. I still had an ally. The Duke of Arak. He was a beloved friend of my father, and his daughter Kayla was my closest friend. We were soul sisters. They would definitely help me after learning about my condition, especially Kayla.

Without thinking twice, I rushed towards the table and started writing to Kayla. I knew in my heart that they would never let me down. With new hope in my eyes, I ran towards the postal quarter in the castle to post the letter. Hopefully, it would be reached by tomorrow.

With a sigh, I dragged my legs to my chamber again. My eyes fell on my reflection as I walked by the mirror. The haggard face, messy hair and a gown with creases. That was far from how a lady should look, how I should look. I moved my eyes from the mirror; only if my parents were alive! Things would have been different then. I wouldn’t be just an abandoned daughter of a late duke.

'I am strong enough myself. My father has taught me to fight, and I will never give up.' I repeated in my mind to feel better. Leisurely I made my way for a bath. For other nobles in the castle, the maids were there to help. But not for me. Not that I mind. I played with water, practising my ability of water control. Perhaps I should start training in secret. That would help me to stay alive in this den.

After the long, much-needed bath, I made my way to my room and changed into a simple gown. My legs carried me lazily towards my courtyard. Unlike others, my courtyard was simple, and hardly anyone ever came in. Sitting on a chair, I was drying my hair, thinking about all the troubles I were going through. I spent the entire day waiting for the letter to reach Arak.

As I saw the sun went down, leaving the golden sky behind, I walked inside my chamber again, preparing myself for dinner. A sudden impatient knock on the door took me by surprise. Before I could react, I heard another aggressive knock. That wasn’t any good. Did uncle send someone to… murder me? I gulped in fear, looking for water in the room. I stepped back slowly towards the entrance of my courtyard, hoping to find some water and an exit. But my plan failed as the door was opened with a loud bang, making me shiver for a moment. Uncle, the duke himself, bragged inside furiously. His hand was holding a scroll.

“How dare you?” He yelled as he threw the scroll on the floor. It rolled on the smooth marble and stopped just before my legs.

“You wrote to Arak? For help?” He screamed. He found out! I forgot to breathe for a moment. This was the man who wanted me dead, and now he had learned about my little plan. What would he do next? My heart was pounding louder.

“Answer me,” he demanded.

“Ye… yes,” I whimpered at his temper. Suddenly his expression changed. A sigh made its way out.

“The situation out there isn’t safe anymore, Louisa. Being with the king will be the safest place for you.” His voice was laced with worry. Those creases on his forehead were telling me how anxious he was. Was it for me? Or for the king? With his words, he stormed out.

It was unlike him. Something was bothering him more than me, for sure. I thought he would take some drastic actions against me, but as a matter of fact, he didn’t utter a word. A mere warning wasn’t his thing. Besides his worried gesture. What was it all about? He left me spellbound. I dropped myself on the chesterfield, trying to find out what he wanted this time. When was he worried about my safety?

Another gentle knock on the door disturbed my thoughts. No one generally came by at this hour. To be honest, no one ever came by my door unless it was indispensable. So I wondered who it might be. Scanning the room, I quickly grabbed the fruit knife. Then I heard another soft knock.

With shaky hands, I opened the door. A gasp left my mouth as my eyes fell on the person standing at my doorstep. A smile made its way on my lips only to stop in the middle, as my eyes observed the tired eyes, unkempt hair and slightly parted dry lips. He was far from the Albert I knew. The Duke of Lumina, an ally to Narodnye.

“Duke Albert!” I bowed instantly, showing him respect. He was only a few years older than me. His father died in the same battle as my father. Even so, he was forced to take the responsibilities at such a young age; he turned out to be a very respectable and strong duke of our age. Our relationship was friendly.

“May I come inside?” He blurted. Exhaustion was dripping from her voice.

“Yes, Of course, my lord,” I replied promptly, moving out of his way.

His gaze fell on my little chamber. It was far simpler than the ones my cousins had. His frowned face was giving me a hard time. What was he thinking? Making his way towards the chesterfield, he bent to collect the scroll, specifically the letter I wrote earlier. Peeping on me once, he opened it. I stood there, hanging my head. I didn’t know how to react.

After a long silence, he finally opened his mouth, “you are being attacked?”

“Yes,” I mumbled. He sat on the chesterfield.

“Sit here,” he ordered, indicating the free space on the other end of the divan.

Sighing heavily, I stepped closer and sat on the divan. His eyes were glued to me, measuring my every action.

“Louisa,” with a warm voice, he called my name.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Look at me.” His voice was laced with demand.

I lifted my face as my eyes fell on him.

“I heard about the king.” He spoke defeatedly. After a pause, he continued, “and you should consider the proposal.”

His eyes were ashamed even though his lips uttered those words. I stared at him dumbfounded.

“Arak has fallen, Louisa. The dark emperor has taken Kayla into his harem.” He paused again. 

What did he say? No! Arak! Kayla!  My heart skipped a beat. His words turned my world upside down. Those monsters had taken her away, burning her house to the ground. A shiver ran down my spine while my heart was thudding louder. I didn’t know how to feel about that.

“It won’t be long before he comes after us.” The duke added.

I hung my head low as tears flooded my cheek. Kayla. She was taken to the harem. To serve that beast! I had heard stories about how they treated women. No less than a s*x slave. They were just a tool for breeding. My limbs were trembling. Fear and anger were building up in my heart. No, that couldn’t be true.

Suddenly I felt a warm touch on my hand. I lifted my head to face him again. His worried eyes were looking into mine.

“I am so sorry, Louisa.” He muttered. “But this is not the time to cry. There is more you should know. The reason why I am here.”

“What do you want from me?” I questioned.

“Those demons have destroyed the island, Louisa. Nothing is left alive. They have burnt everything to the ground and have taken every single maiden to the Midlands. There is no way we can fight a bunch of dragons flying over us while breathing fire. So, the king has called a meeting in the early morning, just after getting the news about Arak.” Duke Albert stopped for a moment. I had a bad feeling in my heart.

“All our hopes are gone, Louisa, and the king wants to yield to the dark emperor to stop any further bloodshed. He has declared to return the things in the way they used to be. The Dragons need us for breeding. So, they will be sent untouched lasses in the midlands to fulfil the dark emperor’s wishes.” He completed, leaving me speechless.

They were after the untouched maidens! Like me! Now, Uncle’s words made some sense. But, I could also see why Duke Albert asked me to accept the proposal.

Seeing my condition, he opened his mouth again, “Louisa, think about it. If you are still unwilling to be with the king,” he held my chin, making me look into his eyes as he continued, “I will marry you to protect your dignity.”

Marry me! But he had married already.

“You have a wife,” I protested.

“And I won’t mind taking another.” He replied.

My mind was in a mess, unable to think straight. My blank eyes were fixed at his.

“Don’t overthink. Your father and mine were allies. I can make it up that they promised each other for our marriage. No one will question, not even the king. I will give you the same respect as my first wife.” He added.

I kept silent. Too much was happening too soon. Gently he stood up, “take care, Louisa. I will come back for your answer.”

I saw him walking towards the door. Before leaving the room, he smiled warmly. I kept my posture for hours, trying to process everything.