I ran like that to protect my clan and soon I was surrounded by soldiers who I clearly know belonged to Fallden empire. I fought and was killing mercilessly but then I felt as if there was a smell that made our vision blur and last I knew was someone carrying me in their arms.  

Aria 's POV

As soon as I woke up I found myself in a chamber that could have been nothing but a part of a castle. The intricate designs and on the wall and the expensive furniture showing the grandeur and wealth of the place indicating that chamber was no less than the part of a palace. I got up from my bed and rushed towards the door hoping it would be open but I was dismayed that it was not. It was strange for me to be present in a royal chamber when I last remember myself in the battlefield in my home where we were fighting the soldiers of Fallden Empire to save our people.

I least expected myself to be in a chamber, it should have been the prison or underground dungeon but here I was in a beautiful room with affluence wealth taunting me that I lost the battle. I looked around saw windows but even they were barred. Then my gaze fell on a curtain that was fluttering and I moved there only to see it faced a deep valley and only thing that could reach here was wind.

I slumped my shoulders and sat on the bed thinking why I was here. I heard a maid came in with food and immediately the door was locked behind her, when I tried asking her she did not utter a word. She made her way out and again the door was opened and locked as if there was someone outside. I banged on the door to get the attention of someone who was outside or maybe I would come to know where I was and who was holding me captive. But I didn't hear how much ever I tried banging or creating noise. It was as if I was left alone and only thing that happened in a timely fashioned was maid bringing in my necessities. Day passed and it was night and I still didn't know who was behind this. Then I heard a knock I went near the door and said "The door's locked from outside".

"I know that" a deep manly voice answered.

"Then why are you knocking" I asked.

"I wanted your attention and need you to answer my question Jocelyn" the voice said again.

"What is it? and Why I am I here?" I asked curiously because I have never heard this voice.

"Will you marry me?" the man asked.

I was shocked that a strange man expected me to marry him after he has forcefully imprisoned me.

"What? who are you? why you want to marry me?" I replied.

"Answer my question Jocelyn and all be revealed" He said in a calm tone, but I could feel the anticipation behind the words.

"Then my answer is NO" I said narrowing my eyes on the door which I expected to get open but no such luck. I heard a sigh on the other side of the door and then I heard footsteps walking away. I was waiting for the maid to come to give food. But no one came.

I slept to pass time and next morning I waited for maid to bring breakfast but none came again. My throat was parching and then I saw a jug of water on the bed side table and chugged it down. When I was done I went to balcony and stared outside.

It was night time when I again heard the knock on the door.

  "What is it?" I asked irritatingly.

"Would you answer my question now Jocelyn" the same man from yesterday asked.

"My answer is NO" I said "and will remain no".

Again footsteps faded and whole night I spent waiting for food but none arrived. Seems  like the man was starving me so I will agree to his demands.  The pattern continued, I survived on water for 5 days.

I felt week so I didn't even bother to move near the door when I heard the knock. I laid on my bed.

"What is your answer?" I heard a side door open but still no one was visible.

"No" I whispered and again the man walked off.

I was now not having enough strength to stand or sit so I laid on my back staring at the ceiling and again there was a bang on the door and this time the voice was gruff and again the same question.

"You want to know my answer then why don't you be the man enough to ask the question on my face" I said weakly though I tried it to be stronger than it should.

"Finally my cat got claws. I would be there with you every night though you wished I was not but after our wedding. So tell me will you marry me?" The same deep voice asked.

"No Never" I replied.

"Let's see how long you will deny my love" The voice said and soon footsteps faded.

Ethan's POV

The guard smirked and said "If you think she is married or not then she is not. But that will be for a while and sooner or later she will be Mistress of this clan and answer to your question she is conscious in Lord's chambers".

I was glad she was fine but she was still in Magnus reach was what bothering me.

I knew soon I would need to free myself and escape with Myra. I didn't want her to get married to Magnus. I was chained and it was getting difficult to move around. It was in the evening that I heard soldiers in good mood. They were talking happily about how their lord is going to get married tonight.

This drove my mind to action and I sat alert in my position because this is the thing that I didn't want to happen. I have to do something to free myself. I kept thinking for a while and soon came up with an idea.

"Is anyone there?" I yelled.

Soon one of the soldier came over and asked "What is it that you want?"

"Please I need water. I haven't had water since 2 days. I need... I need water please" I said pretending to be helpless and hopeless in my situation.

"Hmm... seems like you want it bad. Unfortunately I am not going be your messiah and sorry this is your punishment for trying to take away our Clan lady away".

"Please... I'm dying... let me.. have some water..." I pretended to beg.

"Seems like you really need water but I don't think you would be getting it any time soon" He said and was about to leave.

"Please... give me water have mercy in the name of your lord" I asked again.

"Fine... since you used my lord's name. Let me get you some" He said and moved to other soldiers.

"Dylan are you mad to even give him even a drop of water. He doesn't deserves it" One of the soldier stopped him.

"It's ok Novis after all today lord's going to marry our lady once that is done there's nothing that man can do" Dylan replied.

"I wish lord punish him for trying to take away our clan mistress" Novis said.

Dylan came inside and gave me pot of water but I signalled that my hands are chained. He nodded keeping the pot down and opened chain for one of my hand and gave me water to drink.

I took the pot and showed I am about to drink  as soon as he was distracted looking at the door I used it in full force to hit his head and then pulled  his sword out of his scabbard(leather belt) and kept it at his neck. For a moment he was shocked but then he laughed and threw keys at me for my chains.

I narrowed my eyes at him and he suddenly took a knife out of his shoe and threw at me and I ducked to save myself. I used the sword and stabbed him in his ribs and he laid on the ground and I used the sword to lift the keys from ground and used them to unchain myself. By this time Novis has entered the prison he was shocked but soon lunged at me with his sword. I fought with him for a while and soon cut his throat and went out of the dungeon where I was kept and hid in the corners when a group of guards passed by.  Soon there was chaos and soldiers started running here and there in search of the prisoner who escaped. I made my way out, I hid myself the same place where the marriage was to take place.

I could see that now security was tight after my escape. Magnus seemed tensed and he waited for Myra and soon a group of maids went to fetch her but soon they came back stating Myra has refused to come. This angered Magnus and he made his way to his chambers. I followed him and hid myself outside his room.

"Myra I told you that if you do not cooperate I will kill that vile man and yet you disobey me" He yelled at her.

"You said... I can see him before our wedding but I haven't see him. I want to see for myself that he is safe" She replied.

"No.. Today is the day only I get to see you Myra. Because today is our wedding and I can't have another man look at you" He replied angrily.

"Please Magnus... I will do anything please" Myra plead with him.

"Why do you want to make sure he is alive or not? Do... Do you love him Myra" He asked.

"I.. I .. no I don't I just want to make sure I didn't cause any death" Myra replied.

"Good that you don't Myra because I will kill him in a heartbeat if I feel you have a slight interest in another man" He said  "Myra get ready and you will get to see him after the wedding".

He clapped and soon there were maids entering and he said "Make sure my bride is ready for wedding and she must look her best and I will make sure you are rightly awarded".

He left and I moved my hiding place and entered her chamber stealthily and saw she was now in wedding gown which enhanced her beauty so well then I could not blink.

"Please leave me alone for 5 minutes" She said.

"But Mistress Lord is waiting for you" One of them said.

"Please I need sometime alone. I need to compose myself I don't want to embarrass Lord Magnus" She said and all of them bowed and moved out of the room.

Once all of them left she gazed in the mirror and said "You can come out warrior".

I moved out of my hiding place and said "How did you know I was there?"

"I saw while you made entry" She replied.

I looked at her and then said "Myra it's time to leave from here".

"You must leave at once warrior. It's time you leave or else you will be stuck here forever" She said.

"Come then Myra let's escape together" I said.

"Where will you take me Warrior" She asked now meeting my eyes.

"Myra I have my horse waiting outside this Manor. We can escape" I said and took her hand and we made our way outside the walls of Manor, all the while hiding whenever we heard  approaching footsteps.

Soon we reached the place where my horse was waiting and we got on to it. I thought that I cannot take her back to her village because it will be the first place Magnus will come looking for her.

We rode in the opposite direction and she asked "Where are we going?"

"In another world where he cannot take you forcefully" I answered.

"Warrior I..." She was about to say when I cut her off "My name's Ethan King Myra".

"Ethan I think they are following us" She said and soon I could hear hoofs of horses running towards us.

We were almost in the border when one of the spear stabbed me on my back. 

"Ahh..." I moaned in pain.

"Ethan what happened?" She asked with concerned eyes.

"Nothing that you should worry about Myra" I said and pulled out the spear from my back with my right hand.

"Ethan you are hurt. Please Ethan leave me here" She said.

I felt my horse falling down and then we rolled on the ground. I ran towards Myra and pulled her up and checked for any damage.

"Let's run Myra they are approaching us" I said.

"Leave me here Ethan leave" She said.

"No.. I can't" I said and held her hand and ran towards the border when I heard Magnus yelling "Coward... running with my bride without even fighting me".

I turned towards him and said "Let's fight then Magnus".

He jumped from his horse and ran towards me with his sword. I pulled my sword and we started fighting and I must give it to him and he was good at it. I tried attacking his lower part when he hit my hand and my sword fell from my hand.

He held the sword at my neck and said "Now what must I do to you"

"Whatever is done to the enemy who loses" I replied.

He laughed and said "Then I must kill you" 

"No.. leave him alone" Myra yelled from the place she was standing.

"Why would I do that love?" He said looking at her with lust in his eyes.

"Leave him and I will go willingly with you" She said.

"That you will even if I kill him" He said laughing.

"You can bed me whenever and however you want if you let him live" She said 

"No.. Myra" I said angrily.

"That is the only way Ethan" She said and Magnus made his way to her.

I took this time to take the stick lying next to me and hit on his head. He fell down on the ground with a thud.

I took Myra's hand and ran towards the border. She stopped once we were on the border line. I tried dragging her when she said "Ethan where are you taking me?"

"I am taking you to another world" I said.

"Another world you say... Ethan I do not exist in another world " She said.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Warrior look around you and this time look real hard" She said.

"I don't see anything wrong Myra" I said.

"We cannot escape" she said.

"Look Myra I know very well because across this border is the place I started when I came to this place and I know that is the place we can escape" I said.

"No we can't Ethan.. that is just an illusion" She said her eyes glistening now.

"What do you mean Myra?" I asked.

"Ethan if you really want to save Jocelyn you will have to kill me?" She said.

"What ?? Are you crazy Myra?" I asked.

"You have to kill me Ethan. That's the only way" She said again 

"Myra.. Don't ...?" Magnus stood behind us with anger in his eyes. 

She ignored his warning and said "I am an illusion. To escape from here you have to kill me".

"Even if you are an illusion Myra. I cannot kill you because I see Jocelyn in you and I cannot hurt anyone who has face of my Jocelyn" I said.

She breathed deeply and said "Then I think I have to do it myself".

"No.. Myra don't" Magnus yelled.

"You should know by now Magnus that I don't want to be with you even if I am an illusion" Myra said.

As soon as she said that she snatched my sword and stabbed herself.

"No.....Myra" I heard Magnus shout and then everything was black. It was like I was in another place and I could see a white Manor infront of me.

"It's great to know that you have come back from the land of illusions Ethan" A voice said.

"Fate.. is that you?" I asked.

"Yes Ethan... now haste or else you will loose Jocelyn forever" He said.

"Fate how much time do I have?" I asked.

"You have only 12 hours with you. Your one month duration is about to end" He said.

"what?? How can I make her fall in love now Fate" I said.

"You can't because she is not even conscious. Make haste and get her out of that Manor " He said.

I made my way towards the white Manor.

Stranger's POV

"He escaped from Land of illusions. How is that possible?" I yelled throwing whatever was on the table in my study.

"That is power of Love.. Magnus" A voice said.

"Fate.. what the hell are you doing here?" I asked angrily.

"I promised I would not meddle in your affairs till he was in Land of illusions. But now that he is out of there. I am going to help him guide to this Manor" Fate said.

"Fate... don't do that. You know what the consequences will be?" I said.

"I know.. but I don't care... Magnus. You must know from my name that once I am made I cannot be changed because I am fate" He said and disappeared.