Valley of Shadows and Roses | ONC 2024

Chapter 18

Panic reigned in the castle. Prince Ragnan meant hope to the courtiers; now he was dead, and with him, the hope he represented. Anger prevailed among his soldiers. They clamored for blood for the shedding of their prince's blood. They believed that someone in the castle had a hand in it, except that they had no power there, and without their prince at their head, they had no choice but to bow their heads and return to their kingdom with bad news - Prince Ragnan had joined his ancestors in being trapped between life and death. And on top of that, they lost the only weapon that could set them free. Some chose not to risk losing their heads and never returned to their homeland. Some stayed in the Rose Valley, and some went out into the world without a destination.

As soon as she could, Princess Luna sneaked out of the castle, saddled her horse, and set off toward the Dark forest, without the knowledge or permission of her king. She didn't try very hard to cover her tracks, and no one dared to stop her.

Ever since the forest surrounding the castle became the Dark forest and was occupied by shadows, the princess had not entered it. At first glance, it was clear that the forest had changed, but until now, she had no idea how much. The trees seemed sad. The leaves, usually full of colors, turned gray in this season. Everything was engulfed in a terrifying fog. It sent chills down her spine. The once-living forest now seemed dead.

Luna sped off on her horse. The wind blew in her hair. The deeper she got into the forest, the more lost she felt. The sunlight seemed distant under the treetops. She had no idea where she came from or where she was going. After a while, her horse slowed down. They strolled to an unknown place. Twigs and dry leaves rustled under her horse's hooves. She noticed the shadows following her every step. The Commander told her about them, and now she saw them with her own eyes. However, they kept a sufficient distance from her.

Princess Luna reached a part of the forest she had never heard of. That's because no one has ever gotten that far. Luna's horse became nervous. He refused to move forward. She couldn't get him to move. Her horse got scared. Stood on his hind legs, kicking the air with his front legs. He snorted loudly. He threw Luna off his back. The sudden fall took her breath away. She lay in the mix of forest soil and watched her horse leave. Ran away. She was left alone in a forest full of shadows.

Without a horse, Luna had to continue on her own. She stood up from the ground and brushed the dirt off her dress. The hand she landed on hurt, but it was nothing; it would pass in a moment. She had no idea where to go, so she decided to head in the exact opposite direction her horse was heading. Animals are said to have a sixth sense, and Luna told herself that if she wanted to find the Shadow Lord, she had to look for a danger. It seemed like forever, and she still got nowhere until...

Luna walked among the bodies hanging from the tree branches. Like hanged men. They were dead, but it seemed that at any moment, one of them would open his eyes, or her name would slip from their lips. They showed no sign of decay. They just hung there.

She avoided them. Luna was afraid to touch any of them lest she accidentally awakens them from their eternal sleep. She even recognized some of the faces. Prince Daniel. His brother, Crown Prince Dominic. Prince Finnias. Count Henry. And the others must have been their soldiers. They hung there like trophies. Like when nobles shoot a deer and hang its antlers on the walls of their mansion. They were trophies from a battle they had lost. A display of power.

"What brings you so deep into the forest, Princess Luna?" spoke the Shadow Lord.

He appeared as if from nowhere. As if he came from the mist that shrouded the Dark forest in a veil of mystery. Luna almost jumped out of her skin with fright. The Shadow Lord was amused and smiled at that.

"I went for a walk in the forest, my horse ran away, and then I got lost," Luna replied. "I certainly wasn't looking for you."

"In that case, excuse me. I won't bother you anymore. You will definitely find your way back to the castle on your own," he said and turned to leave.

"You seem to be fine," Luna said, stopping the Shadow Lord.

He turned to her. Footsteps led him back to her.

"Shouldn't I be?" he asked her incomprehensibly.

"I saw how Prince Ragnan hit you with his sword. You were bleeding." the princess recalled that night. She was sure she saw him bleeding.

"Are you sure, princess?" the Shadow Lord smirked. He liked it when he made Princess Luna uneasy. When he unsettled her.

"As sure as I'm dying every night and waking up every morning as if it was just a dream," she replied.

She took a step closer to him. One, two. She let the space between them disappear. She gently touched his chest, ran her fingers under the fabric of his unbuttoned shirt. He didn't even have a scratch on him. He was still perfect, unblemished. The Shadow Lord did not take his bewitching gaze off her. He gently touched her palm and held it to his chest to keep her from retreating. He craved her touch. Their eyes met.

"I am the most powerful shadow that ever lived, dear Luna. It takes more than magic tricks for Ragnan to kill me," said the Shadow Lord. "He is now on the other side with his ancestors."

"I don't normally consider myself malicious, but I wish Prince Ragnan the fate that awaits him," the princess said coldly. He tried to kill her, but she didn't feel an iota of pity for him.

In reality, Princess Luna was a very malicious person. After all, we know she wished death on anyone who tried to free her. Luna hated the suffering that haunted her all her life, bound to her by invisible strings, but she didn't realize that she was unwittingly helping it. Apparently, it was in her blood.

"He will wander forever between life and death just like his ancestors."

"What do you mean?" asked the Shadow Lord, confused. "Their souls are still trapped in this world?"

"Yes," Luna replied. "His ancestors once, when you came to their kingdom, made a deal with a certain mysterious man. In exchange for the power to defeat you, their souls will wander the world until you die. Or until they kill you," she informed the Shadow Lord about the history of prince Ragnan's family.

Princess Luna found it strange that the Shadow Lord was confused by her words. He knew Prince Ragnan, and generations of his family before him. How come he didn't know about the deal? Or did he know something that the princess didn't know? Did he know the mysterious man? She saw the secret in his eyes.

The Shadow Lord immediately recognized the man Luna was talking about. He recognized his brother, to whom they signed their souls. But he couldn't tell Luna, not yet, so he changed the subject instead.

"He hurt you too. Are you okay?"

Luna saw that the Shadow Lord was trying to hide something, but she didn't think she was in a position to ask him questions.

"I guess I am because of you," she replied. "It still hurts, but I'm fine."

"I couldn't let you die," said the Shadow Lord.

"Yes, you could," Luna countered.

"I'm not a monster, princess," the Shadow Lord countered in return. "I can make you suffer, but I will never kill you on a whim."

The Shadow Lord approached Luna. He carefully touched her stomach, where the wound was. Luna shivered but didn't stepped away. She took a step closer to him.

"I know, but people are monsters," she said.

Princess Luna felt dizzy. She staggered. The Shadow Lord caught her in his arms. The world around her was blurring. She didn't know what was going on. She was confused. Her sight was melting and piecing together all over again.

"Midnight is coming, dear Luna," he whispered softly in her ear. "But I can end it right here and now. You know what to say."

The contours of the forest changed into the contours of the tower. The leaves in the treetops replaced the starry sky.

Luna shook her head. "I'm not weak. I will not give in," she said in a weak voice full of uncertainty. "I won't bow down to anyone."

"In that case, I'm sorry, dear Luna, but I can't afford to lose."

And so, instead of finally being freed, Princess Luna was condemned to repeat that night, as she had done so many times before. And she had to repeat it many times.