TAKEN

02.

"I'll do it."

The words had echoed in the courtyard, no one had expected it but he knew it was the only way to save everyone, marry the demon king even though it was forced.

"Now you're being cooperative, I shall leave with my bride at dawn." The demon king announced as he walked to the entrance of the courtyard. "Say your goodbyes now witch, you may not get a chance to say them or see them ever again." He exclaimed before he walked off with his men leaving the nobles and his family.

"Everyone you will not be hurt anymore, go back to your homes." The witch nobles left with their families as the queen the family gathered around the prince. "Mier you don't know what you've done." The queen berated her son.

"I did it to save my sister and our home, there was nothing I could do." Mier argued, the mother and son began to sob knowing the fate of her son, he was to be married to the demon king who already had several husbands in his kingdom.

"I will be fine I promise." Mier spoke wiping his tears away.

"I know you will, but you're my son, I can't bear letting you go even if it's for the peace of our kingdom." The woman cried more knowing this was the last night she would see her son.

"We must get ready or he will wage war again" The king ordered as his heart broke, making all of them wipe their tears away. "I wish it wasn't this way Mier." His father confessed leading them out of the courtyard.

"But it must be done." He whispered lowly walking toward his room which had been repaired. "We need to prepare for your farewell, and the grand feast for the demon king." The queen announced and Mier nods as the door shut behind him.

He walked to the balcony and sat on the floor, he began meditating to find calm in his turmoil, this was also his way of keeping a balance between his self and the being inside him only few knew about. He knew his life was about to change, he was about to leave the only home he had ever known and be forced into a marriage he never wanted, but what could he do.

He was a prince and his duty was to protect his people no matter the price, even if it meant being claimed by the demon king.

The trees swayed in the wind moving in a tranquil peace, Mier's vision turned past the cabin he was, into the cellar, he smiled to himself knowing they were fine and free, before he could move he felt another presence with him.

As he turned he was shocked to see who it was. "So this is where you were hiding." It had been the demon king who had used his power to connect himself to the vision Mier was seeing.

"This was my home away from the castle, it brought peace within because nature was not disturbed here, it was free and full of life." The demon king scoffed. "Witches and nature, you act as if the destruction you cause to nature will be forgiven if you free your magic to it." He harshly clamored and Mier drew himself back to his body and saw the larger man sitting right in front of him.

His legs were folded and crossed on the floor, where the king had touched a grey glow could be seen, it was the pull of magic into Mier from the demon king. "Such a prize." He whispered. "What do you want?" Mier demanded. "To know you, you're to be my bride after all." The witch remained silent as his eyes turned into cat slits, golden and grey.

It did not startle the king only made him more curious, but the power was drawn back. "Not by choice." Mier replied softly as his eyes returned to normal, the dark grey abyss.

"You're a strange creature indeed, no one in millennia had ever landed a kick on me that rocked my body the way yours did, to stand up against me in such a way it almost made us equal." Mier scoffs as the demon stood up smiling.

"So what's your name?" The king asked only eliciting anger from the witch. "I don't want you here, leave." The witch spat as a strong gust of wind blew ferociously toward the demon from him.

It did not faze him until it became unrelenting and stronger than he could handle, the demon kept himself grounded using his wings as shields from the wind that blew harder as time passed.

"That's no way to treat your new husband." A man appeared on the balcony, his black hair matched the color of his eyes, dark pools. "What do you also want?" Angrily the which spoke, he got up and walked back into his room.

"Only to talk, we aren't so bad as you've perceived." The man argued, making Mier scoff. "You killed hundreds of my kind, mercilessly killed children, your king put a knife to my sister's throat and forced me to marry him, what the hell do you mean you're not as bad as I perceived." Mier accused.

Power lashed out in waves toward the two demons in the room, their eyes turned pitch black ready to defend themselves from the witch who was releasing power in terrifying waves.

"I already agreed to marry him so that my people could be safe, with that, the last thing I want is to see him here prancing about trying to be prince charming, I just want some peace!" He yelled as his outburst subsided, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

Mier immediately ran to the bathroom banging the door and slumping to the ground in tears, he knew his anger would subside when the situation finally sunk in, he was marrying the demon king and nothing was to change that, he was hurt and also felt useless for having power but unable to use it because the demons would know of his entity, but it was too late the demon king knew anyway.

After his tears had dried Mier walked toward the bathtub and set himself a bath, stripping, he laid in the water infused with lavender, he closed his eyes to reminisce about the things he would miss from home and what he had to prepare for as he was to leave.

"You have to get out of that bath at some point." His mother announced standing outside the door. "How did you know I was in a bath?" Mier questioned tying hid bathrobe and walking into his bedroom. "I gave birth to you." She replied with a smile though you could see the sadness in her eyes. "He was here." Mier confessed facing his mother.

"I know, he doesn't totally mask his power so you can always know." Mier nodded to his mother sitting on the bed, he looked out the window and sighed, his heart filling with sadness. "I'm going to miss home." The witch uttered sadly, as his mother sat beside him.

"Home will always be here forever, no matter how long it takes, it will be here for you when you return." The two sat in silence, they knew no words could prepare anyone for what was to happen.

"I truly wish there was something we could do." She asserted as she hugged her son, knowing he needed her comfort. "If anything were to happen two kingdoms would come for us and we might be strong but the vampires and demons combined are too much to handle, so we have no choice." Mier mumbled his response.

As mother and son sat on the bed watching the moon rise, they knew tomorrow would be the it and that this was their final goodbye.

~~

Mier was still awake in the dead of night, after his mother had left he walked toward the balcony and sat on the floor, folded and crossed his legs and brought his palms together in a meditative position.

With that his magic took him beyond the kingdom of the witches to the Aliverian Sea, the blue gleaming water crashed in waves on the rocks, the moonlight reflected on the surface of the water showing the creatures beneath the deep purple water.

It was beautiful to watch, peaceful indeed until a presence yet again forced its way in to see what he saw. "Beautiful indeed no wonder you came here at night." It was the demon king yet again and Mier remained silent.

Back where his body sat, his mind distracted by the view of the sea the demon king laid his claim mark on the which, it burned itself onto his skin and Mier felt it where his mind was, he looked at the demon and saw him smile, without hesitation he drew himself back to his body to feel the full force of the mark.

He screamed in agony as the claim rooted itself within him making him faint. "What just happened?"

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LMJ