1: To Claim His Bride

            “You, useless slave! When will you stop disobeying me?!”

            The bloody silver chain hits her wounded flesh, repeatedly mutilating her worn out body. Caia thought she’ll be numb to this pain already. However, despite this regular punishment, she still can’t help but whimper in pain every time the metal whip hits her deep to her bones.

            But this is only happening because it’s her fault. She isn’t a good daughter to her parents that’s why her father is punishing her like this. But… what exactly did she do wrong? She can’t seem to remember-

            “This is why even a rogue man like him is still refusing to marry you despite being engaged for seven years! Because you are…” the whip landed on her lower back, making her arch her body due to pain.

 “Disobedient!” Then, to her legs.

“Useless!” Her bottom.

“Bitch with no wolf!”

Caia looked at her father, and she flinches when the whip slashed at her face. Immediately, her cheek burned as she felt warm liquid streaming down her skin. The pain was burning intensely that it was numbing her whole face.

She clenches her fists, tears washing away the blood from her wound.

“Father…” she whimpered, pleading to no avail.

“Rodrigo! I told you! You can hit her anywhere but her face!” her mother screamed, slamming the teacup on the table.

She had acted so oblivious to her husband’s extreme punishment to her all this time. Yet, why was she so worried now about her face?

Caia felt her chest squeezing in pain. Her father was too cruel. And her own mother wasn’t doing anything but just watching on the side. As if her suffering didn’t affect her at all. She’s even more worried of a tea that was spilled than her own daughter losing half of her blood from all this endless torture.

 Isn’t this too much?

“But they’re my parents… so…”

“It’s her who moved so I hit her face instead. What a disobedient girl!” her father hissed and turned to her, his face as dark as the stormy sky. Every time he towers her like this with that furious and disgusted look on his face, she always feels small and terrified.

“He’s punishing me again…” it’s the echoing thought in her mind.

“Now. Lay on your stomach and pull your dress up, Caia. If you don’t want your face disfigured, then be a good daughter and listen to your father.”

“F-fath-“

She wasn’t able to finish her words as his dangerous eyes threatened her.

Shaking, like a good daughter they said, she followed his words and laid on the table. And again, it begun. The relentless feeling of the whip’s painful touch on her bare legs. Sometimes, that whip’s strike was even more familiar than her parent’s warm and loving embrace.

But they’re only doing this for her own good. That’s what they said. Because they love her.

As her father continuously beat her to the point that she cannot feel her legs anymore, she pleaded mercy between gritted teeth. Words that she was taught to say to ease her father’s anger.

“P-please…father-AHHH! F-forgive me… for my sin! I am-AHHH! …a bad dau-daughter. I… I won’t…d-disobey yo-you anymore-AHHHHH!”

However, for once, did it even help her lessen the pain of this endless torture?

***

It was only an hour since she was brought back from the punishment room. However, there was no evident of what happened but only the lingering pain in her body. The maids dressed her on a plain white silk night gown as she stood before the mirror, naked. There were no visible wounds. No cuts. No bruise. Or scar.

That’s because every time she was punished like this, her father would ask her mother to treat her wounds after. That way, she’ll remain as the perfect beautiful daughter of the powerful Herald Family. A family of healers, valued by King Ruan Dark of Darkenshire Kingdom.  

But…were there really no traces at all?

What about her pain? What about these lingering feeling of bone-seeping pain that she feels every time she closes her eyes and remember how her father’s whip landed on her skin.

“My lady? Is something wrong?” one of her maids asked, noticing her wincing.

Caia glanced at her, smiling warmly. Yet, it wasn’t enough to cover her weariness. She’s just too drained and empty.

“N-nothing! Are you finished? Can you leave my room now. I want to be alone,” she replied dismissively, avoiding their touch as they finished dressing her and combing her hair.  

Their touches just somewhat feel so painful and scorching. Like as if, those were the whip her father uses to punish her.

“Sure, my lady.”

Politely, the three maids left her room, and only when they were gone that her knees gave in. She fell on her feet, as she started trembling and shaking so violently. Tears spilled from her dead eyes, as she started to whimper in an unseen pain. This happens every time her father punishes her.

Although there were no physical evident of her suffering, she always suffers from the emotional trauma caused by it. Her body begun shaking violently as she felt as cold as ice. She hugged her knees, burying her face on it.

Seeing her face or body makes her puke. Thus, she wanted to stay in the dark where she can’t see herself at all.

Part of her mind was asking whether she deserves this. But also, somewhere in her brain was saying…

“They’re only doing this because they love you. your parents love you…”

“Yes.” She replied to her own self, deceiving herself to believe in this ridiculous lie. “They love me. I am only punished for being a naughty daughter. If I stay obedient, they won’t hurt me anymore. Yes. I’ll just stay obedient. I’ll…”

Caia bit her lower lip. So hard that she tasted her own blood.

Truly. Do they really love her?

***

“Lord Herald! Someone was attacking the mansion!”

“WHAT?! WHO DARES TO?!”

The guard was so nervous, his face so pale as if he had seen a ghost. “I-It’s the blood-lust alpha! A-Alpha Dark!”

“W-Who?!” Rodrigo Herald furiously bolts from his office chair, spilling ink on the paper he was working on. “Who did you say was here?! And why is he here-?!”

The guard, still flustered, answered. “My lord. He says, he’s here to claim his bride… and he’ll trample anyone who dares to stop him. My lord. What shall we do? He’s the Dark Alpha!”

Rodrigo crumples his fist, although angry, his body cannot deny his fear upon hearing that name. His fists shook as he clenched his jaw.

“But Caia is still unprepared. That useless bitch!”

***

She had already heard some noises and commotion from the outside but Caia chooses to ignore it. She had calmed down in a couple of hours of hiding in the corner of her dark room. Yet, she still wasn’t ready to face anyone.

Unless her father demands her of it.

However, the commotion worsened even more. And then minutes later, the door of her room creaked open; and a ray of light invaded the comfort of her darkened room. A silhouette of a huge man stormed in before she realized it. Pair of worn-out combat shoes that knights only use stood before her. And there was an air of danger that lurked within this man.  

Looking up, Caia’s ocean eyes was met by a pair of fuming stares.

“His eyes… it’s beautiful…” she thought in a split of second.

Although she was entranced by those pair of captivating raven black eyes, one thing filled her mind the longer she stared at him.

“He’s going to hit me.”