The Moonbound Bride

CHAPTER TWO: SOLD TO THE MOON PRINCE

Aria wrinkled her nose as she walked past the guards. The prison smelled like rust and regret, clutching her coat tighter around her shoulders. She didn’t belong here, not in a place filled with whispers and shadows and men in uniforms who looked at her with pity.

Her father sat behind the glass divider, looking ten years older than he had two nights ago. The confident, untouchable Damien Wren was gone. In his place sat a man whose eyes had lost their shine.

“Dad,” Aria said softly, lifting the receiver.

He smiled, tired and broken. “You came.”

“Of course I came.” She tried to sound strong, but her voice trembled. “What’s going on? They said…. They said you made some kind of deal. With him. That man with the silver eyes.”

Her father’s hands shook. “Aria, listen to me. Everything I did was to protect you.”

“Protect me from what?”

He hesitated, glancing toward the guard before lowering his voice. “From death.”

Her chest tightened. “Dad, what are you talking about?”

“When you were born,” he said slowly, “you were sick. You weren’t supposed to live. I begged, I prayed for a miracle. And he came.”

Aria blinked. “You mean Eryndor Vale?”

Her father nodded. “He saved you. He said he could give you life, but in return, I owed him something when you came of age. I thought it was money. I didn’t realize what he meant until he came to collect.”

Aria’s blood turned cold. “You promised me to him?”

“I didn’t know!” he said desperately. “I didn’t know what he was, what he is.”

“And what is he, Dad? Because no one normally glows in the dark when he walks into a room!”

Her father’s eyes filled with tears. “Something ancient. Something not meant for this world. But he kept his word, Aria. He gave you life.”

She shook her head in disbelief, tears burning her eyes. “So now I’m just.. What? Some kind of payment?”

He looked at her through the glass, guilt carving deep lines into his face. “I’m sorry, baby girl. It was the only way.”

The words tore through her. She slammed the phone down and stood abruptly. “No,” she said, voice shaking with fury. “You can’t just give me away to him like something!”

“Aria”

But she was already walking out, her vision blurred.

She stood on the steps of the prison, breathing hard, her reflection trembling in a puddle.

Marriage. To that man.

It was insane. Unthinkable.

And yet, deep inside her chest, the mark on her wrist throbbed faintly, glowing beneath her skin. She pressed her palm against it, trying to stop the burning, but it pulsed like a heartbeat.

That was when the black car pulled up beside her.

The door opened, and he stepped out the man she swore she never wanted to see again.

Eryndor Vale.

He wasn’t dressed like a headmaster today. He wore a long black coat that brushed the wet pavement, and the rain didn’t seem to touch him. Every drop curved away before it reached his skin, as if even the weather bowed to him.

“Miss Wren,” he greeted calmly, his silver eyes fixed on her. “Your father has fulfilled his part of the bargain.”

“I’m not property,” she snapped.

“No,” he said quietly. “You’re far more valuable than that.”

Her heart skipped. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

He regarded her for a moment. “If you don’t wish to come willingly,” he said softly, “I will not force you. But understand that the bond has already begun.”

“The what?” she said

He nodded toward her wrist. The crescent mark shimmered. “You can feel it, can’t you? The pull.”

Aria took a step back, breathing unevenly. “Stay away from me.”

Eryndor sighed — not in anger, but as if weary of explaining something inevitable. “You think I want this?” he murmured. “You think I desired another mortal bride?”

She froze. “Another?”

His eyes flickered with something she couldn’t name… grief. “You’ll learn soon enough. For now, pack your things. The car will take you to Moonridge Academy. Your new home.”

“My—” She laughed bitterly. “You’re insane. I’m not going to some creepy boarding school because you ”

“Because I saved your life?” he interrupted, his voice suddenly sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. “You exist because of me, Aria Wren. The least you can do is honor the price that was agreed upon.”

She stared at him, trembling, fury and fear mixing inside her like storm clouds.

“Go to hell,” she whispered.

He smiled faintly. “I already have.”

And with that, he turned, stepping back into the car. The door closed, and the vehicle rolled away, leaving her standing in the rain, heart pounding, mark burning brighter than ever.

That night, she couldn’t sleep.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him, his silver eyes, his voice echoing in her head, his words twisting around her thoughts. The bond has already begun.

By morning, her father’s lawyers arrived at the mansion. “Miss Wren,” one said stiffly, “per your father’s agreement, arrangements have been made for your relocation. You are to report to Moonridge Academy immediately.”

She wanted to scream, to fight, to run, but there was nowhere left to go. The house was being seized. Her accounts were frozen. Her father was gone.

And the mark… wouldn’t stop burning.

By noon, she was sitting in the backseat of a black car, staring out the window.

“Where is this place even?” she muttered.

The driver didn’t answer.

When they finally arrived, the world outside looked like something out of a dream or a nightmare.

Moonridge Academy sat atop a hill, surrounded by trees that whispered in the wind. The gates were wrought iron, carved with moons and stars.

A chill ran through her.

She stepped out of the car, the scent of rain and pine thick in the air.

And there he was standing by the entrance, dressed in black, the wind teasing his dark hair. The silver in his eyes caught the faint sunlight.

“Welcome home, Mrs. Vale,” he said.

Her throat went dry. “Don’t call me that.”

He smiled, slow and knowing. “You’ll get used to it.”

Aria glared at him. “You can’t just— just trap me here!”

He tilted his head, that infuriating calm never leaving his face. “You’re not a prisoner,” he said softly. “You’re my bride.”

She stared at him, disbelief and anger fighting to take control. “You don’t even know me!”

“I know your heart still beats because of me,” he replied, stepping closer. His presence was overwhelming, calm, powerful, inescapable. “And soon, you’ll know why the moon chose you.”

For a moment, she saw something flicker in his expression, a sadness buried too deep to fake. Then, just as quickly, it vanished.

“Classes begin tomorrow,” he said, turning away. “You’ll find everything you need in your room. Try not to wander at night.”

“Why not?” She challenged me.

He paused at the doorway.

Then he was gone, leaving her alone in the courtyard as the gates closed behind her with a sound that felt too much like fate.