Chapter One

*Cassandra POV*

The cathedral was suffused with an air of solemnity, its towering arches adorned with golden drapes and fresh white lilies, transforming the place entirely.

Walking down the aisle, my arm locked with my father, my steps were measured and deliberate. The fabric of my gown—a masterpiece of delicate lace and silver threads—clung to me as if trying to weigh me down further. Every step felt heavier than the last.

My father, the great King of Lisbon, Edward Langford, held my arm firmly, his grip becoming punishing. His voice, low and curt, broke the silence.

“This union is vital for the kingdom. You will remember that and do your duty for this country as a princess,” he whispered softly so only I could hear him, keeping a perfect smile intact on his face for the onlookers.

I clenched my fists by my side but didn't let the smile on my face waver. I resisted the urge to pull away from him, but that would look bad and could ruin his perfect image, something he would never forgive me for—maybe not until the day I die.

All my life, I have done everything to make him see me as someone worthy of her title and even more, but he always ignored me like a nasty bug.

Everyone in this country knows the story of how I lost my mother the day I saw this world for the first time, but they were unaware that I also lost my father the very same day—or, it's better to say I didn’t have one from the start.

I heard stories about how kind and generous King Edward Langford was, treating his subjects as his children, but growing up, I witnessed a father who wouldn’t even look at his child, let alone talk to her directly.

As a princess of this country, I have everything one could ever wish for—all the comfort and luxury—but there’s always this aching hole in my chest that craves the warmth a child should receive from their parents.

“I understand, Your Majesty,” I replied, my voice cold and short. This was the first time he had talked to me without any intermediary. Only it wasn’t the father-daughter conversation I was looking forward to. It was a subject receiving orders from their king.

The murmurs of the crowd grew louder as we approached the altar, where Prince Adrian of Solar awaited, standing tall and regal in his ceremonial attire, a charming smile plastered on his face. Any girl in the seven kingdoms would die to marry him. He was the man of many girls’ fantasies, but to me, he was nothing more than a gilded cage—a symbol of my father’s disregard for my desires.

The ceremony began, the priest’s voice resonating through the hall as he spoke of unity and alliance. My gaze flickered to the stained glass windows depicting Lisbon’s victories. I grew up listening to stories of my ancestors protecting our country. I always felt motivated to do the same. However, today looking at them, I felt the bitterness rise in my throat.

From how hard I was glaring at them, they started shaking. I almost dismissed it as part of my imagination until I felt the ground tremble as well. Follows a howl echoed through the outside of the church—

Lycans.

I froze for a second before my instincts kicked in. My eyes scanned the room, detecting the crowd right before the chaos erupted. The heavy doors of the cathedral thrashed right before me, splintering under the force of clawed hands larger than any weapon.

In a matter of seconds, dozens of them poured in like ants, their hulking forms moving with terrifying speed, their claws cutting through human flesh like a knife through butter. Screams erupted from the masses as they scrambled for safety. Prince Adrian took a step back, his hand fumbling to get the ornamental sword stuck by his belt.

From the look on his face, it didn’t take a genius to know he’d never faced a lycan before—at least not in a life-and-death situation. He was petrified, not that I blamed him. Most of them here were the same.

I turned to my father, who looked as stunned as the rest. “Get behind me,” I commanded, my voice cutting through the panic.

He blinked, and for a moment, I saw something unfamiliar in his eyes. Fear? Or was it a doubt?

“I said, get behind me,” I repeated, putting more stress on my words. This time he moved. I tore the ceremonial veil from my head, tossed it aside, and pulled a dagger hidden beneath the folds of the wedding gown.

A lycan lunged at me, its claws swiping for my throat. I sidestepped, the red ruby attached to the hilt flashing, catching light as I stabbed it into the creature’s heart. The beast’s painful scream was lost in the chaos, blood splattering across the pristine marble floor right before the beast dropped dead at my feet.

The only thing lethal to lycans: Silver.

My dagger was made of the same material.

It was effective but not enough to wipe out an entire army of them.

There were too many to count. I couldn’t understand why they were attacking now or how they made it through the walls and entered the country undetected.

The world around me dissolved into chaos. Guests trying to flee, guards fought hard with their lives on the line, but did it change the outcome? Absolutely not—they were too many and too powerful to kill.

I didn’t let this realization stop me from fighting until I reached my limit.

My father stood frozen, his face pale as he watched me. For the first time, perhaps, he saw me for what I truly was—or I hoped so.

As the battle raged, I couldn’t help but feel a grim sense of satisfaction. This was where I belonged, not the altar I’d been forced to.

Even after everything I did, we got surrounded from all sides. There was no place to escape. They came prepared. It took three of our soldiers to kill one of theirs, and that was if the odds were in our favor.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t save everyone. I had to choose. If I wanted to stay here and fight as long as I could or find a way to save the king. He was the topmost priority of all. He was the target.

What’s the easiest way to destroy a country? Kill the king. The country will fall like a sandcastle.

I couldn’t let that happen. I had to stop this. I had to do something. Those were the only thoughts running through my head amidst the chaos, giving me the strength to keep moving forward, eliminating the danger coming our way.

Screams started to die down. All that was left behind were piles of bodies and a pond of blood covering the sacred sigils carved into the floor.

There was only one way to enter and exit this place, hence they blocked it. If only they knew there was another. A secret door that only a few people knew about. I discovered it during one of the many days I spent here during my childhood hiding.

I instructed my father to stay behind me as I led him to the back of the altar, right where the entrance to the secret pathway was. To my surprise, it was left open. Apart from me, someone else must have known about it.

Not pondering too much, I hurried my father to go down before sliding right behind him and sealing the door behind me.

The screams of horror continued to follow us. I swallowed a sour gulp of guilt, knowing I was powerless right now. I couldn't save everyone.

The small staircase led us to the underground. A torch was left at the bottom of the stairs by whoever went before us, providing enough light to navigate to the last stair and to the stone wall with another secret passage.

I twisted the lamp holder attached to the wall, and the wall opened up to give us a way to cross.

“This tunnel will lead to the palace garden,” I informed my father, letting him know he would be out of danger. He looked like he needed it.

“How do you know that?” he questioned, not taking my words for it. Of course.

If he still doesn’t believe me, I don’t know if he ever will.

“We don’t have time for this. Please hurry up before they come down here,” I said, looking ahead, taking the torch with me, and entering the small tunnel that would lead us out of here.

I stayed on guard until we made it to a distance where the voices from inside the cathedral couldn’t haunt us anymore, though we were still not safe. Not until we reached inside the palace.

After walking continuously for over ten minutes, we reached the endpoint. The small exit opened into the royal garden and was covered behind thick veils of plants, keeping this secret tunnel hidden from the eyes of passersby.

I sighed in relief when a gush of fresh air hit my face. My eyes located the palace building in the distance.

“We are saf—” Before I completed the sentence, I heard the sound that dropped my heart into my stomach.

I turned around robotically. The grass underneath my feet had turned crimson red. Red is my favorite color, but there was nothing pretty about the site ahead of me.

A loud scream tore from my throat and I dropped to my knees, my eyes widening in horror, staring at the body laying on the ground.

“F-ather-r,” I sobbed uncontrollably, staring as the color faded from his face.

My mind couldn’t process what had happened or how. I wasn’t in a state to think properly, nor did I move to protect myself when a shadow emerged from behind me.

Glowing amber eyes were the very last thing I saw before darkness engulfed me.

The tingling sensations of danger closing up rushed through me, but I found no will to fight.

I was ready to receive the punishment for my crimes.

In the final moments, the realization came to me. If only I hadn't made that mistake, this would

 have never happened.

If only I was not selfish. If only…

These words feel as useless as I was in this moment.