Betrothed To The Demon King

Chapter 1 - The Hooded Shadow

Ten years ago...

"Princess Ana! Please come out! Your parents will kill me if we don't return in time!" Lizette, the nanny, shouted in despair. She had been the Princess' nanny ever since she was born. She knew how mischievous the young Princess was, but she had grown to love the girl.

She is naughty in many ways, but she has the biggest heart. She is sweet and kind and never acts like some royal child. She's respectful and loving, too. Lizette would have resigned long ago if she had been anything but kind. But as she grew older, her curiosity sometimes got Lizette in trouble.

" Ana, please, come out now. We need to go home now!" Lizette begged desperately. They went on a stroll outside the castle. Ana's parents would allow her to leave the castle walls every afternoon, supervised by Lizette and a royal guard. Anastacia loved her afternoon walks, especially in the woods.

Even at eight, she already had a vision so vivid she believed it was true. In her dreams, she saw this tall man smiling down at her, but after a while, the image blurred, and the man turned into a beast. That was the time the young Anastacia would wake up screaming.

Her parents would explain to her that it was only a nightmare and that there was no such thing as a beast. But Anastacia knows that it is real and that the beast will come and find her soon.

Present time...

The shadow moved swiftly and quietly as it climbed the castle walls. The shadow wore a black hood, pants, and combat shoes. The girl below her looked nervously around her surroundings. She was scared that the guards would catch them and she'd be punished.

" Milady, please be careful and come back quickly. The rumors about a hooded shadow have been spreading like wildfire in town. I am scared you'll get caught, and I will be punished for letting you out of my sight." The girl hissed and begged the woman on top of the wall.

" Lizette, relax. We have been doing this for a year, yet no one has found out. Don't worry, I will be back before the sun rises, and I will be cautious. Now go back to the castle and stay in my bed. My parents shouldn't know that I leave my bedroom at night." The girl said. Her face was covered with a black mask.

" But, milady, isn't it time to stop your late-night rendezvous? You still haven't found what you were looking for anyway. Don't you think the rumor was all a hoax?" The maid argued.

" Shush, Lizette. Keep your voice down! You're going to get us caught. I told you I can sense the beast whenever I go out there. It was so elusive and fast, but soon, I will catch it." The girl hissed at the woman below her.

" I'm sorry, milady, I am only concerned and scared about you. You are all alone out there. What if there really is a beast, and you encounter it? How will you protect yourself? What will I tell your parents and grandparents if you suddenly disappear?" Lizette retaliated and stared helplessly at her mistress.

" That will not happen, Lizette, okay? You know that I have been trained ever since I was young. I am the best archer and excellent at swords. I know how to protect myself. Don't worry. Now go before my parents find out I am gone." She motioned for her nanny to go back to the castle.

" Princess Ana, please be careful and come back quickly," Lizette begged her mistress again.

" I will, Lizette, don't worry too much. You should be used to this by now. We have been doing this for over a year now. I come back safe and not a scratch on my body every time, right?" Anastacia said and nodded at her maid before climbing down the other side of the wall.

Her nanny, Lizette, looked in despair at the disappearing shadow. She looked around first before hurriedly walking back to their secret door. Ever since Princess Anastacia was born, she has been by her side. She dedicated her life to raising the only daughter and heir of the Hastings family.

She watched her grow into a beautiful yet stubborn young woman. Ever since Anastacia started dreaming about the beast and heard about the tale of the beast in the woods, she had been fascinated by it and bowed to look for it.

This rumor has existed for centuries, but nobody saw the beast nor found proof of its existence. But every full moon, a sad howling sound of a wolf, could be heard all over town. No one dares to venture into the woods at night, especially if it's a full moon.

Soon Anastacia was running towards the woods in precise movement. She felt that tonight would be the night she'd encounter the elusive beast. She had been training hard and waiting for this moment. She ran as fast as she could, worried the guards would see her.

The castle guards have been patrolling outside the woods to ensure the safety of the Hastings family. However, she was confused about her grandparents' and parents' reactions whenever the mention of the beast in the woods came up. They would laugh and dismiss it right away.

It fueled Anastacia's curiosity and thirst for adventure and exploration. Ever since she turned seventeen, she has dreamed of being in the woods and wrapped in the beast's arms every night. She couldn't explain what she felt, but none of the emotions was fear, unlike when she was eight.

She remembers waking up screaming because the beast tried to hold her, but now that she's grown, she feels a lot of emotions whenever the beast is around, and none of them is fear. She would only break into a scream when the beast slowly vanished into thin air.

She felt safe and loved, but it all ended with her screaming and sweating. Lizette would burst into her room and calm her down. She told Lizette about her dreams and desire to search the woods for the beast. It felt so real she could hear the beast's ragged breath and warm embrace.

Finally, she arrived at the clearing. She remembers this place all too well. This was the place where she met the beast in her dreams. Now all she has to do is wait.

She turns eighteen in a few days and vows to find the elusive beast before she leaves the castle and travels the world.

Anastacia stayed calm and quiet and listened to the sounds of the woods.

There's a full moon tonight, so she is sure the beast will come out and roam the woods again.

It was almost midnight, and the air started to feel chilly. It made Anastacia's jaws quiver.

She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. She loved the smell of the woods and listening to different sounds of insects.

She was startled when she heard a long, lonely howl of a wolf. Her senses picked up, and her eyes roamed around her.

She could feel eyes staring at her, but where? Suddenly, she heard a twig snapping. She grabbed her bow and arrow and got ready for an attack.

" I know you're out there! Come out, or I will shoot!" Anastacia warned in a clear and stern voice.

There was silence, but another sound of a twig breaking could be heard a minute later.

Ana aimed her bow toward the sound, ready to release her arrow.

" I will count to three! If you don't come out after I count, I will shoot. Do you understand?!" She shouted at the shadow behind the trees.

Her sweat is rolling down her back, and her hands are also starting to sweat. Her eyes are trained in one direction. It seemed like an eternity before the shadow moved toward Anastacia. Ana held her arrow and bow tightly.

To her surprise, a giant wolf came out of the trees and went straight toward her. The beast's eyes sparkled in the darkness, and seemed like they were laughing at her.

Anastacia stood frozen while watching the enormous wolf she had ever seen approach her. The wolf stopped a few meters away from Ana and stared at each other for a while. Soon the wolf sat on the ground and laid its head as if it was too lazy to continue.

Anastacia was shocked at the wolf's gestures because wolves are pretty aggressive and predatory in the books and tales she had heard.

But this particular wolf seemed tame and gentle. So Ana xxx slowly lowered her bow and stared at the gentle beast lazily lying on the ground.

" What a strange animal you are. Are you the beast they were talking about? How could they be scared of a gentle giant like you? Anastacia smiled and put away her bow and arrow.

She slowly walked towards the wolf while staying alert at the same time. You wouldn't know when this beast would strike out.

When she was a meter away from the wolf, she sat on the ground facing it. The wolf saw what she did and rose to its feet again.

Ana stared in amazement as the wolf approached her. It came closer to her and circled her. It stopped beside her and nudged its nose in her temple as if smelling and kissing her simultaneously. Ana felt so strange when the wolf did that. It's the same feeling she had in her dreams when the beast locked her in his arms.

The wolf nudged its nose again, this time into her neck, and licked the spot. Ana giggled because she was very ticklish, especially that part.

The wolf growled softly as if loving the taste of her skin and the sound of her voice. Ana reached her hand towards the thick fur of the wolf. She loved the silky and soft feel of its coats in her hand. The beast growled again, enjoying the touch of Ana's tiny hands. It sat beside her and laid its head on her lap.

Ana felt excited and happy at the gentleness of the wild beast on her lap. It purred as Anastacia continued combing its furs with her hand.

" Was that you howling a while ago?" Ana asked the beast as if it could understand her.

" Why do you sound so lonely every time?" Ana continued and swore she heard the wolf whimper as if in pain. It rubbed its head on Anastacia's breast and whimpered.

"There, there, my gentle beast, calm down. Whatever it is you were looking for. I am sure you will find it someday." Ana patted the wolf's head and laid her face on it. The wolf groaned, enjoying Anastacia's touch.

Ana fell asleep lying on the wolf's stomach. But soon, her phone rang loudly. She was startled at the sound. She took out her phone from her pocket and saw that Lizette was calling her. When she saw the time, she was alarmed. It was almost morning.

" Anastacia, where are you?! I was worried sick when you did not come back on time! Please tell me you're on your way back home because your parents will come to check up on you in an hour!" Lizette's panicked voice screamed on the phone.

" I am so sorry, Lizette. I fell asleep, waiting for the beast. I forgot the time. I will come back right now. Please make sure my parents don't find out I am gone." Ana scrambled to her feet and soon realized she was alone. There was no trace of the giant wolf last night.

She looked around her but couldn't sense the wolf's presence anymore. It must have taken off while she was sleeping. She smiled at the memory. She hasn't slept like a baby for so long.

She scrambled to her feet and ran toward the castle. She must hurry, or her parents might learn about her rendezvous at night. She can't let that happen, especially now that she has met the beast. It is not as wild and as scary as what the tales tell.

She would definitely come back every night and meet with the beast. She feels like there's something odd about it. It behaved like a human, and it seemed to know her. She must know the truth about the gentle giant and discover its secret, she vowed.