BAM. BAM. BAM.
The blows rattled the front door hard enough to shake the frame.
"Ma'am," a voice called from the other side, flat and unmoved, "you will come with us by choice, or we will drag you out against your will."
BAM. BAM. BAM.
The second volley sent a tremor through the walls.
Cassia Vale stood frozen in the center of the room, her hands trembling despite how tightly she tried to hold them still. Just yesterday, everything had been fine. More than fine. Her brother had told her their standing with the House of Virel was improving. That things were finally getting better.
"I've not done anything wrong!" she shouted back, the words cracking under the weight of her breath. "Leave me alone, please."
Her voice faltered, swallowed by the rising panic clawing its way up her throat. "What could I have possibly done?"
"Someone within this household is directly responsible for stolen goods," the man replied. "As such, you have been selected to repay the debt. We cannot allow thieves to operate under our name."
Cassia's stomach dropped.
"No, there has to be some mistake."
The door exploded inward before she could say anything else.
Wood splintered and burst across the room, shards whipping past her face. One struck close enough to cut, a thin line of warmth trailing down her cheek.
A man stepped through the wreckage.
Tall, armored, and unyielding, he stood in the shattered doorway as though the house itself had failed to keep him out. Fragments of wood fell away from his boots as he stepped forward, each movement deliberate and heavy with purpose. There was no urgency in him, only inevitability.
Polished plate caught what little light the room offered, each piece fitted with deliberate precision. A longsword hung at his side, worn but well kept. It had seen use, not ceremony.
On his shoulders rested the crest of House Virel. A silver coin split clean down the center, encircled by a coiled serpent biting into its own tail. The emblem gleamed against a field of deep emerald, a mark of wealth and warning. Trade without end. Debt without escape.
Without hesitation, he stormed toward her, grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her out of her home. He hauled her along the roads of Draevenhall, past familiar buildings she had lived beside for most of her life.
Fighting through the pain, Cassia tried to justify it somehow in her mind. Maybe they had the wrong person, or maybe this was some kind of mistake.
"I swear I've not done anything wrong. Let me go!"
"Where are you taking me, anyway?"
She struggled to force the words out as the sharp stone road carved fresh lines into her skin. Her mind raced, searching for an alley she could disappear into or some quick way to cut her hair free. She found nothing. The pain was already too much.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" a voice called, its weight striking the street hard enough to silence everything around it.
"What business does this woman have with your House?" he asked. The anger in his tone was unmistakable as he stepped forward, the weight of his armor clanking with every movement.
"This woman is being tasked with taking the brunt of the punishment for the missing shipments," the guard said, releasing Cassia's hair and letting her fall limp to the ground. Noticing fully who it was, his posture shot rigid. "Do you have any objections, sir? Sir… if I may ask—"
"Shut up. You will speak when spoken to, that is it. Do not open your mouth again unless it's to let me cut your tongue off," the duke shot back. "This was not approved in the house meeting.
Who sent you?"
"…"
"Speak up, damn it. I can't hear you." Reaching for his sword, he asked, "Who sent you, and why did they think I would not find out?"
"The sitting leader of House Thorne asked that this woman be removed. I was only following—"
"Give her here." Sweeping forward, the Duke of Draevenhall picked Cassia up. Removing the hair from her face, he was struck with a feeling he wasn't quite sure he knew. "How could you be so cruel to someone you know?"
"Like I said—" the guard tried to fight back but was quickly cut off.
"I did not say speak, peasant." His anger rose with each word. "Do not let me find you disobeying the order of the Duke again. Next time, I will take it upon myself to end you without fail. Do you understand?"
Standing fully upright, the man saluted the duke before disappearing with haste, afraid his life was in danger.
The walk to the palace was a blur, with Cassia's consciousness fading in and out. She remembered the altercation, but most of what came after was a haze. It seemed like a full night had passed when she finally regained her awareness.
She leaned forward, taking a quick scan of the area. The walls were tall and lined with plaques and contracts. The crest of House Valmont was everywhere. In the center of the room, a fireplace roared, heat rolling out toward her.
Lying back, she felt safe enough to close her eyes again. As she let herself fade back into sleep, a hand flashed in front of her face and she was back outside her home, watching herself being dragged through the filth-littered street.
"HELP!" Cassia yelled as she woke, launching herself forward.
BAM.
"Ouch… haha… you are safe, please calm down," a calm man's voice said, the tone of it carrying a strange sense of ease.
"Where am I?" she asked, rubbing the sore spot on her head. "Did I just…"
"Headbutt me? Yes. Yes, you did. It hurt quite a lot, to be honest. You're a member of House Virel?"
"Only by force… those guys seem to think my brother is their savior," she said, looking the man over. His presence was beyond anything she'd felt before. "Why did you save me?"
"I'm looking for a wife," he explained, standing and walking over to the fireplace. "I need someone to produce a male heir. In return for saving you, you will sign a contract that binds you and your body to me." He paused briefly. "You will not be expected to give yourself away without reason. To that end, you will undergo training to bring you up to a level of presence like mine."
"You can't be serious," Cassia shot back as she pulled herself from the bed. "You should have just let me die… what a crazy thing to say!"
Panicked, she planted her feet against the floor, but the moment she stepped forward, her vision gave out. She collapsed into the duke's arms, and he guided her back onto the bed.
"I will return with the palace mage. He will prepare a binding contract for you and me."
With that, he left, leaving Cassia alone with a growing sense of dread. Her mind raced at the thought of becoming someone's possession, though the memory of him saving her lingered just beneath it. Lying back, she closed her eyes once more.
Moments later, two figures burst into the room. One was the duke, the other an older man, thinner and clearly aged. They moved to her without hesitation, placing a piece of parchment in front of her. Both of their names were written at the top, with space below for signatures.
"I don't have a choice?"
"No. You will become my queen in time."
She hesitated only briefly before signing. Her name settled into place, and the duke followed immediately after.
The moment the ink dried, light flared across the page. The names lifted from the parchment and drifted toward them.
Cassia's signature pressed itself into the duke's collarbone, forming a dark mark against his skin. His followed, settling just above her chest, reshaping into something permanent.
"What the fuck just happened, Theron? Explain."