LOGINShare
SIDE STORY #1: Like A Silver Rose
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Silver roses bloom only for a week once every five years – their life spans are too short and too far apart but also far too sweet to be fully ignored. These flowers are like one’s childhood love – a memory that came too soon but rarely leaves.
Tristal Mariana Andry, the Grand Duchess of the Noble House of Andry, sighed deeply. At age sixty and mostly bedridden, she had become more and more prone to melancholic spells, especially when it came to remembering her past. Today, she had been in reverie once more as she faced a seemingly daunting task. It was the first time she had been out of her room and in a party. It was also the first time in decades that she had chosen to speak to Caldwell again – the present king of Gaulane and her past lover.
The details of her last communication with Cal, as she would lovingly call him ages ago, had already slipped away from her mind, but the memories of their first encounter loomed as fresh as yesterday for her. It all started fr
Ellie LoveI hope you enjoyed this side story on Tristal's (Shia's grandmother) and Caldwell's (the king) beginnings... They are two of the characters I wanted to have had a happy ending, but as you know, the end did not go according to what they wanted. Stay tuned for another side story tomorrow!
Related chapters
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King SIDE STORY #2: Crossroad
“Are you coming tonight?”Danterion placed his arms around my waist as I tied the last few knots of my dress. He repeated his words when I did not speak.“Are you coming again tonight, Fina?”I did not answer because I didn’t know what to tell him. This was the third night that I had come here on my own and sought him. I had been feeling rather sad and empty lately, but Langrey came back in town today, and I agreed to meet him at the same, old place. True, I had been deliberating in my mind if today would be a good time to call everything off between us, but how could I possibly know how things will turn out? How would I know if I needed solace and comfort again after I break up with my childhood sweetheart and his own twin brother today?I shook the thought away from my head. I am a bad, bad person, I know; I had been seeing Danterion for half a year now behind his brother’s back. Although Langrey and I had a long hist
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King SIDE STORY #3: First Kiss
“Ugh, I absolutely hate boys,” Khailis said in disgust as she threw her sweaty gauntlet onto the floor.Shortly after, Khalis heard a shriek. She gasped as she realized who it was she had just injured.“Gavil, Gavil, I’m so sorry! Were you hurt?”A black furry cat sat by the floor, rubbing his bum with his tail due to the accident she had just caused.Khalis has often gone home in sulky moods before, but this was the first time he was ever hit by him, and as a result, his feelings were deeply hurt.Khalis picked him up like a baby and put him at her lap, stroking his sleek, black fur and patting his behind apologetically. “Was my Gavil hurt? Were you injured?”Gavil whimpered some more, not because he was hurt but because he was sad and lonely. Even before Khailis went out today, Gavil had stayed in this spot because it was the most comforting place in her room. Every day, Khailis went
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King PROLOGUE
My satin veil billowed against the wind as I walked down the aisle in the cream-colored wedding gown that the villagers have presented to me. It was their tribute for today’s occasion. My head was lightly pricked by the crown of baby’s breath that kept my veil in place, and I clutched the bouquet of peach roses and lilies nervously and sighed as the wedding march started to play. I started my way towards the end of the aisle where my would-be husband awaited. It was a slow, steady, but equally nerve-wracking walk; butterflies of every shape and color swirled all around me as flowers started to bloom where I have previously treaded. This was perhaps the final salute of the plants that have grown to love me my whole life. It pains me to think I might leave them all too soon today. My beloved’s eyes seemed to look at me with awe and anticipation. Thankfully, I did not falter with my walk. I stood high and felt more confident with each step that br
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King CHAPTER 1: In the Wilderness
In the midst of the raging sand dunes somewhere in the fringes of Soccora, violent gusts of wind engulfed her mother's face. Shia cried and screamed, but even those were lost in the winds. She was terrified - too terrified for words. But her mother's face was calm and reassuring as she turned to her and said her last words. "Remember, my daughter, you are strong. Stronger than you think you can ever be..." She whispered. And just like that, her mother’s lovely face turned into sand and faded away with the howling wind... Shia sat down immediately as wakefulness pulled her from the grasp of her constant nightmare. Cold sweats racked her frail body, and they made her olive skin shiver against the night sky as more and more tears rushed down from her face. Her silvery flowing hair clung to her face as she subdued her sobs and fought away the tears that flowed so generously. Despite seeing the same nightly vision for months now, the
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King CHAPTER 2: The Boy From the Foothold Trap
A sudden blunt pain came to Shia’s side as one of the guards nudged her from behind. “Get up!” he yelled. Shia immediately sat up while patting the side where the guard has nudged her with the heel of his sword. It was a glorious morning. A few birds cawed from overhead. They must be travelling somewhere around Ylann by now as the forest had gotten more luscious around these parts. One by one, Shia can see the other bandits wake up and began preparing for breakfast. The air was beginning to be filled with the smell of smoke and roasted bird meat from the hunt a night before. In this group, there were about twelve bandits – all grown men who were muscular, gruff, and dirty. Ever since the new king has been put to the throne, many low class criminals had put themselves in business by capturing cursed ones, and either holding them for ransom for their families (if they were rich) or collecting the rewards the Imperial Palac
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King CHAPTER 3: Escape
Shia saw an opening, and immediately, she tried to attack him on his left side. The boy was swift, and he swung away from Shia, leaving a gash in his dark cape. Shia tried again, this time aiming for the boy’s face. This left him with no choice but to drop his hands from his eyes and hold Shia’s left arm to prevent the dagger from doing further damage. As he grabbed her wrist, his glowing red eye was locked into hers, but Shia did not care, and she tried to push all the weight of her body on her hands. He was too strong for her though, and he was able to resist the dagger from going further to his face. She wrestled her with all her might, but he was really strong. After a while, he began to wear a stunned look in his face when he realized that Shia was not turning into stone. “Why?...” he said in an exasperated tone. Shia was able to release herself from his grasp. This time, she tried to make an overhead attack, but he used his right gauntlet
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King CHAPTER 4: The Dream
Splashes of icy cold water enveloped Shia’s body as she took the plunge to the river down below. It felt like she has lost all her will to live as the water drove her down to its surface. Everything was drowned in an abrupt but calming silence. Suddenly, Shia remembered where she was and that she was with someone. She frantically swam upwards into the surface and scanned the scene. The surface of the water was a violent mess. The current tumbled Shia to and fro all over several times before she had spotted a plant root sticking from amongst the rocks. She reached her arms to it and used her powers. It began to magically extend itself and lifted her up to the edge of the water. As soon as she was able to climb on top of the rock where the root was seated, she scanned the water for any signs of the boy. Luckily, she was able to spot his cape bobbing from the surface of the current before coming down again. Without further ado, Shia quickl
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King CHAPTER 5: Confusion and Misunderstanding
Langrion blinked twice, but the vision of the angel did not fade away. She was still there, holding his left hand while she was fast asleep. Did he sleep with this woman? How did he end up here? Honestly, he could not remember a thing. He had never been with any other woman before, so how can he not remember if something like this did happen? The woman stirred a bit and she opened her eyes. Langrion looked back at the set of big brown eyes that he remembered so well from his dreams. They seem to be too lazy to open up, and she eventually fell back into sleep. In a few second however, reality must had sunk in to her, and the woman gasped as she let go of his hand and jumped to the far side of the cave. Langrion immediately sat up, and as he did, the blanket fell down and revealed his ripped chest. The woman – no, it was more like a girl – despite her tanned skin, blushed into a deep crimson color. Langrion felt his ears getting hotter to
Latest chapter
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King SIDE STORY #3: First Kiss
“Ugh, I absolutely hate boys,” Khailis said in disgust as she threw her sweaty gauntlet onto the floor.Shortly after, Khalis heard a shriek. She gasped as she realized who it was she had just injured.“Gavil, Gavil, I’m so sorry! Were you hurt?”A black furry cat sat by the floor, rubbing his bum with his tail due to the accident she had just caused.Khalis has often gone home in sulky moods before, but this was the first time he was ever hit by him, and as a result, his feelings were deeply hurt.Khalis picked him up like a baby and put him at her lap, stroking his sleek, black fur and patting his behind apologetically. “Was my Gavil hurt? Were you injured?”Gavil whimpered some more, not because he was hurt but because he was sad and lonely. Even before Khailis went out today, Gavil had stayed in this spot because it was the most comforting place in her room. Every day, Khailis went
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King SIDE STORY #2: Crossroad
“Are you coming tonight?”Danterion placed his arms around my waist as I tied the last few knots of my dress. He repeated his words when I did not speak.“Are you coming again tonight, Fina?”I did not answer because I didn’t know what to tell him. This was the third night that I had come here on my own and sought him. I had been feeling rather sad and empty lately, but Langrey came back in town today, and I agreed to meet him at the same, old place. True, I had been deliberating in my mind if today would be a good time to call everything off between us, but how could I possibly know how things will turn out? How would I know if I needed solace and comfort again after I break up with my childhood sweetheart and his own twin brother today?I shook the thought away from my head. I am a bad, bad person, I know; I had been seeing Danterion for half a year now behind his brother’s back. Although Langrey and I had a long hist
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King SIDE STORY #1: Like A Silver Rose
Silver roses bloom only for a week once every five years – their life spans are too short and too far apart but also far too sweet to be fully ignored. These flowers are like one’s childhood love – a memory that came too soon but rarely leaves. Tristal Mariana Andry, the Grand Duchess of the Noble House of Andry, sighed deeply. At age sixty and mostly bedridden, she had become more and more prone to melancholic spells, especially when it came to remembering her past. Today, she had been in reverie once more as she faced a seemingly daunting task. It was the first time she had been out of her room and in a party. It was also the first time in decades that she had chosen to speak to Caldwell again – the present king of Gaulane and her past lover. The details of her last communication with Cal, as she would lovingly call him ages ago, had already slipped away from her mind, but the memories of their first encounter loomed as fresh as yesterday for her. It all started fr
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King EPILOGUE
“I, the new sun of Gascone, swear to dedicate my life into the service of my people. I swear this oath in the name of my father and my forefathers before me and in the name of the holy gods and goddesses of Teotroly!” Everybody cheered as the new king took his oath. They gazed at his ocean blue eyes, and they were taken aback by the honesty of his words and his demeanor. They welcomed him and his new queen with open arms. Shia looked back at the dignified man’s jet-black hair and mesmerizing blue-eyes with awe. She was proud and happy at what he had accomplished so far. It had been four months since the battle between them and Sirion has ended, and in those four months, he had been able to recover by and by. During the battle that left half of the castle in ruins, the last clear vision in Shia’s mind was that of Sirion plunging a sword in Danterion’s body – the body that hosted him – just after claiming that his death will fulfil what he had lon
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King CHAPTER 111: Final Battle: The End Part 2
As soon as Shia cut through the kraken’s tentacle, she found herself falling helplessly down. She screamed. She had forgotten the fact that she could not fly. She was really a useless goddess. Thankfully, the feeling of falling suddenly stopped, and Shia was turned upright by an invisible force. When she craned her neck to see who it was that helped her, she spotted a familiar face. It was Marmie, and she was staying some distance away, manipulating her fall. Almost instantaneously, a cry emerged from up above her, and she saw two flying entities swoop down into the center of the kraken’s head where Sirion was. Finally they came! Gilyan and the Commander were perched at Chibi’s back, and a black winged puma, who could only be Gavil, went into the courtyard to help them. “Sirion,” Shia shouted. “Let Danterion go! It’s over! You are outnumbered!” Sirion simply laughed at her, seemingly unfazed. “Do you think you and your puny friends could kill
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King CHAPTER 110: Final Battle: The End Part 1
Darkness covered the sky as birds from all direction converge towards the courtyard where Gavil, Chibi, and Marmie had seen Langrion go earlier. “Come on, let’s go and help Shia now. She had been taken away by some monster, but I think she’s nearby,” Khailis remarked as she tried to stand, but Gavil held her tightly by the shoulder. “Wife, you stay here with Goddess Eily. The rest of us will go.” “Wait, no! How can I stay here? There’s no action here! Plus, I’m fine, don’t worry too much,” Khailis said, beaming with energy. “You’re not fine. We might lose our babies, and I don’t want to lose you too... Ever!” Khalis looked back at Gavil’s glistening eyes. For the first time since he had met him, he saw him shed tears... Ah, she had almost forgotten! The blood of knighthood runs so strongly in her veins, but first and foremost, she was a mother now and a wife to someone who deemed her precious... She couldn’t possibly be as bold and car
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King CHAPTER 109: Unearthed
“Just a little bit more, my lady... Please...” Gilyan have not begged anyone saved the God of Darkness for years. He didn’t have to before this. He became a free man because of His Darkness, but now, he found himself in a predicament where he would kneel down and kiss the earth if he could just get his wish. He didn’t know how many hours they had been buried down there. He tried his best since earlier to get help from above. However, he could not sense any living being, or was it perhaps because his magic was weak and limited? Earlier, the goddess who was with them revealed something about him that he felt had some semblance of truth. “All who can wield powers have the imprints of divinity in them, and you, in particular, given that strong sense of power, I’d say you must be a candidate for a god.” He had believed those words. After all, he had seen how his powers had gotten out of bounds even without the God of Darkness’ permission.
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King CHAPTER 108: Final Battle: The Beginning
Langrion could not believe it! His wife almost died. If he was just a second late, she would have perished! She surely wouldn’t have survived! A heart beat ago, he swopped as fast as he could towards the open fire burning at the castle’s courtyard. He had seen it countless of times before, looking like a candle far-away in his own tower. He heard the pleas of the cursed ones like him, begging, screaming for help, but his uncle never did give his mercy at any of those times. As such, Langrion feared those flames for a long time. He felt like they were the cause of his torment. He should have died with those people accused of being cursed a long time ago. He should have been the first to burn, but because he was a prince, he survived. He lived until his present age of twenty one years old... That’s right. Today is his twenty first birthday, and today, he just turned curseless. The mask on his face fell as he snatched Shia away from the burning flames th
The Bride of the Would-be Demon King CHAPTER 107: A Thousand Sacrificial Deaths
Langrion and Gavil, together with Chibi and Marmie, wasted no time travelling to the place they needed to go: the capital city of Gascone – Gaulane. “I can take us there easily, Prince Langrion,” Marmie said during the dead of the night a few second before they ascended in the air. Marmie was on Chibi’s back while Gavil had already transformed himself into his beast form – an enormous, black feline with wings like an eagle. “How,” Langrion asked. The last time he checked, Marmie’s powers involved controlling things with her mind. Can she also create voids like Galahad? “With this,” Marmie said, pulling away her sleeve from her left hand. There was a tattoo that looked like an eye with feathers reaching on both sides. “This was installed by the Ancient Evil when he controlled me... when he controlled us. We were supposed to use it once we have fulfilled our mission. Although I was not conscious at the time he was controlling my thoughts, I remembered it well i
