"LET THE BLOOD RITE BEGIN!"
The words echoed throughout the hall as ancient drum rolls followed with the crowd chanting in veyrian.
Serenya remained seated beside kaelen, her eyes fixed on Avalon. The high elder lowered the ancient blade and stepped foward.
"The Blood Rite is a tradition that has existed in Veyr for generations," he began, his voice carrying through the hall. "Long before this kingdom became what it is today, our ancestors made a sacred pact with the dragons who ruled these lands."
Serenya listened carefully.
She had read about the dragons of Veyr before coming here. In Ariathen, they were treated as creatures of legend, powerful beings that had once ruled over vast territories before disappearing from the world.
But the way Avalon spoke about them made them sound far more than a legend.
"They protected our people," Avalon continued. "They gave our ancestors strength and prosperity, and in return, our people swore that their bloodline would never forget the pact."
Serenya's fingers slowly tightened around the armrest.
"And every generation since then has honored that promise."
Something about the way he said it made an uncomfortable feeling settle in her stomach.
"What exactly does honoring it mean?"she whispered.
Levai, who stood nearby, glanced at her but said nothing.
Serenya looked toward Kaelen.
His expression remained completely unreadable.
Of course, he probably knew exactly what was coming.
She turned her attention back to Avalon.
"The Blood Rite requires an offering of pure blood," the elder announced. "A maiden untouched by another."
Serenya's stomach dropped.
Pure blood???
What does he mean by pure blood???
She glanced around the hall.
Nobody seemed surprised.
In fact, some of the nobles looked almost expectant.
Her brows furrowed.
This wasn't some symbolic ceremony.
They were actually offering someone.
Avalon raised his hand and turned towards the entrance
"Bring forth the offering."
The large doors at the end of the hall opened.
Two guards walked inside dragging along a girl, her white dress was ragged while her ginger hair covered her entire face.
Once the guards reached the altar, they pushed the girl to the ground, she barely had enough strength to keep herself still.
Her hands trembled against the cold stone as she struggled to lift her head.
Slowly, she raised her face toward the light.
Serenya froze.
The moment she saw her face, her heart dropped to her stomach.
Her lips parted.
No...
It couldn't be.
"Zara...?"
The name came out barely above a whisper.
But Zara heard it.
Her eyes widened.
For a brief moment, the fear in them was replaced by something else.
Panic.
Serenya stared at her in disbelief.
Zara violently shook her head as if saying
'No'
Serenya immediately remembered the conversation they had earlier
**
"Princess "Zara called out
"Please don't interfere.....N-no matter what happens."
Serenya's brows drew together.
"Why are you saying that like something terrible is going to happen?"
"I'm just making sure you have an open mind."
Zara forced a small smile.
**
Tears clouded her eyes.
Zara knew that she was going to die, she knew that they were going to sacrifice her and yet she still acted like everything was okay.
Serenya looked around.
Nobody looked disturbed.
Nobody looked disgusted.
They all sat there watching the ceremony with the same cold indifference, as though a young woman's life meant nothing.
As though this was nothing more than another tradition they had gathered to witness.
T-these people are monsters!
Her fingers curled tightly against her gown.
She looked back at Zara.
Slowly, Zara lifted her head.
Their eyes met.
Serenya could see the tears gathering in her eyes.
Zara's lips moved
'Dont.'
Serenya stared at her.
Her chest tightened.
Why was Zara telling her not to save her?
Why was she accepting this?
The chanting began.
Low voices filled the hall as the elders began reciting words Serenya couldn't understand.
The sound sent a strange chill through her body.
Zara lowered her head.
One of the guards moved behind her.
Avalon raised the ceremonial blade.
Serenya stared at it.
Everything else seemed to slow as the blade caught the firelight.
Zara's shoulders trembled.
Serenya's heart pounded harder.
She had come to Veyr to save her people from extinsion.
She had already lost her soldiers before the journey even began.
She had been forced into a marriage with a man she barely understood into a kingdom where she had to live with extra caution. Like everyday was her last.
Her home was thousands of miles away, going back wasn't an option
That was why she had endured Kaelen, despite all his attempts to make her give up. She did everything just so she could have a chance of protecting her people
But Zara...
She was the only person in this kingdom who had made Serenya feel like she still had a piece of home with her.
She was the only familiar face in a place where everyone else felt like a stranger.
And now they were going to kill her, right before her very eyes like her life meant nothing.
Serenya's throat tightened.
No.
i can't let them kill anymore of my people.
Not while I'm alive.
"May the gods be with you" Avalon said as the blade began descending.
"STOP!"
Her voice exploded through the hall as everything came to a halt.
Serenya was already on her feet before she realized she had stood.
Her chest heaved as hundreds of eyes turned toward her.
Avalon slowly lowered the blade.
The elders turned towards her with anger visible in them. Even kaelen had to look at her.
Zara looked up in horror.
'No! .....what has she done '
Serenya's gaze remained fixed on the High Elder.
"I will not stand by and watch you take an innocent life."
The silence that followed was almost deafening.
Then the hall erupted
"What does she think she's doing?" A woman in the crowd murmured
"She interrupted the Blood Rite!" A man hissed
"How dare she!" Another woman scoffed
"Does she think our traditions are barbaric?"
"She is insulting our ancestors!"
"Does the Crown Princess reject Veyr's customs?"
Serenya's face tightened.
She looked around at the furious faces surrounding her.
She had expected resistance.
But not this.
To them, she wasn't saving a girl.
She was insulting their entire kingdom.
Avalon's expression darkened.
"You dare interrupt a sacred tradition of Veyr?"
Serenya met his gaze.
"If your tradition demands the death of an innocent woman, then yes. I dare."
A collective gasp spread through the hall.
Levai's eyes widened slightly.
Even he looked like he wanted to disappear.
Avalon's jaw tightened.
"You know nothing of our traditions."
"Then enlighten me" Serenya snapped. "Because from where I'm standing, all I see is a girl being dragged here to her death"
"You have no right to judge what you do not understand!"
"And you have no right to take an innocent life simply because your ancestors did it before you!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Serenya knew she had gone too far.
But she couldn't take them back.
The hall descended into chaos.
Yet through all of it, Kaelen remained silent.
Serenya slowly turned toward him.
He was still sitting on the throne.
His expression hadn't changed
He was simply watching her.
Studying her.
As if he couldn't decide whether she was incredibly brave...
or incredibly foolish.
In the midst of the crowd, Zeke stared at Serenya in disbelief.
He had seen the princess survive quite a lot since her arrival in Veyr.
But this?
This was madness.
'She has courage....'
His eyes narrowed.
'I'll give her that...'
A pause.
'But absolutely no political sense.'
Avalon stepped forward.
The fury in his eyes was no longer hidden.
"If the Crown Princess rejects the offering..."
He paused.
His gaze swept over Serenya with utmost disgust
"...then perhaps Her Highness should take the maiden's place."