Conquered Love (Love Series: Book 1) FREE READ

I could barely see through my blurry vision that were fogged by tears. I watched helplessly as I witnessed my kingdom being burnt to the ground. The savages of the south continued with their raining arrows of fire. Piercing through the roofs, windows, and walls of the wooden houses of the commoners. I heard the souls leaving the bodies of my people as axes and swords clashed through the night. I can smell the smoke choking the air with ashes and boiling flesh. I couldn't stop them, I couldn't do anything! Why was I the one to be left behind? I heard a loud bang on the door. I was chained by the ankles, forced to watch the horror before me. But it was not caused by the enemy. It was caused by my family. I was the half-breed of the royal family. My father was the late king of this small kingdom. He had a heart of gold, he cared and loved me so much. He hand fed the poor and tended to his soldiers and their stallions. But alas, he was just that, a commoner who won the heart of the queen. My mother had envied our relationship. She despised how much my father loved me and always chose to spend time with me rather than her. One of the things that I never forgave her for was when she intently bore a daughter to a royal man. This man chose not to bear the responsibilities of being a family and ultimately left her to be in his kingdom. The night she pleaded and begged for my father's forgiveness was just pathetic. She groveled at his feet when she admitted to her infidelity. "I can't believe you chose to give in to sin, than to reconcile with me." My father's heart was broken. I was merely just 5 years old when I witnessed it, but then he slowly sighed, "I forgive you, Elaine. I can't bear to see my daughter's mother suffering." "This had always been about her! Why is it always about her?!" My mother spouted. My father chose to be silent. He knew that arguing was never the answer, instead, he hugged her and kept whispering to her, "I forgive you." He was there for her when she had given birth to a healthy beautiful baby girl. She had gold, angelic curls that were inherited from my mother. I had my father's chestnut brown hair. She gleamed with dazzling emerald eyes, once again, from my mother. I had light brown hazel eyes. My father adored her and treated her the same way as he did for me. We were finally a family. We lived so happily for years. However, time did not favor us after two decades. My sister was 20 and I was 25. The time flew by incredibly fast, until we celebrated my father's heartfelt 40th birthday. He started a mild cough and cold, but it did not get better. Not long after, maybe a few months, my father fell ill with an unknown disease. I tended to him, offering him water and some crushed up medicinal herbs. I fed him hot meals that were easy to digest. I sang him to sleep despite the hurtful things I was told by my mother. Despite being married to royalty, my mother, we soon learned that the Heirarchy Council banished her from all stakes and holds of the Royal Government. She relinquished her rights and access to any form of assistance from them the moment she said, "I do," to my father. When they found out she had delivered a half blood, she was exiled from ever entering her home kingdom. My father had done all he could for our family. For someone who was brought up poor, he still managed to feed us meals and kept our home warm. But his body became cold. I held his hand and touched his face. Before he took his last breath, he told me, "Be good, don't let the judgment of others define you. I love you." and then shortly passed. My mother was hysterical, she cursed the world and cried heavily for days straight. I knew she was heartbroken, and I tried to comfort her. Only to be pushed away, "This is all YOUR fault!" she pointed her finger to my face, "I wish you never existed!" And that was all it took for me to block out my mother. I learned to stay out of her way. When Angelica, my sister witnessed her mother crying she spited me, "You ruined our lives! I wish you had never been born!" I sobbed through the nights actually wishing for that. I was miserable. I had not been happy since my father died. One day, on a pristine white horse, a royal guard introduced us to King Jerard. He stooped down from his reign and eyed my mother. "Is that my daughter?" he asked, gesturing to Angelica. "Your highness," Elaine bowed to his feet, "I have missed you so." Lightning struck my heart, she was groveling at this mysterious man, and my heart hurt more realizing this was the man my mother courted with while with my father. I gritted my teeth as the King looked at me. "This must be the peasants offspring I suppose?" "She is not one of ours," my mother, still not meeting my gaze. "Stand, Elaine," he ordered, and she did. "What do we have the courtesy of your visit?" Elaine asked. "I'm here to house my daughter, so she can join the ranks of royalty," he announced. Both my mother and sister's face lit up, and they looked at each other excitedly. "But..." he caused the area to halt," Due to the claimants still in place for you Elaine, you and I cannot regain your title until peace with the savages of the south has been made." Elaine's face sobered, but she was hopeful, "There's still a chance though, right? That we can go back to being a family?" My blood boiled, how can this woman be THIS pathetic? "There may be a pardon for your treason as arrangements have been made to appease the south." he continued, "That one with royal blood will wed the leader of the rebellion." Angelica froze up, "I... I can't do that!" she began to sob, "I have just met you, we... we can't wed me to a savage!" her tears dropping from her flawless vanilla-skinned face. "I assure you I do not intend to surrender royal blood to them." King Jerard placed his hand on his daughter's shoulders, "There will be a wedding, but we will substitute your half-blooded sister in your stead." Wait... what?! "The Royal Government promised the south peace, in exchange for royal blood. They did not mention blood to be full." he smirked over to me. "You can't just wed me to them!" I stood my ground. "Oh, I can, and you will." he narrowed his eyes at me, "With your parent's permission of course." He then softly looked over to Elaine. "I, I consent! I consent your majesty!" she exclaimed. My face dropped to the floor. What was going on? "I don't get a say in any of this?" I protested. "You only get to protest at the rank that you are. Which is a half-blooded peasant," he then gestured to his guards. The guards marched up behind me, and before I could react they cuffed me to metal chains, "Take her to the tower." "You can't do this! MOM!" My last cry for help echoed through deaf ears. Elaine turned her cheek and embraced Angelica, "We can finally be a happy family." The guards tugged the heavy chains and yanked me onto the ground. They did not wait for me to get up, they dragged me to the tower of the castle. Through the gravel, rocks, and dust they logged me onward. I stumbled against the wall, climbing the stairs to then finally be pushed onto cold, hard concrete floors. "How can you do this?!" I cried. "Don't worry, you'll meet your new husband tonight." the guard shut and locked the doors from the outside. Tonight?! What did they mean by tonight? I stayed locked up dreading as the hours ticked by so slowly. I saw the sun slowly set, and the skies fill with red. Then I heard the faint distance of war drums. Soon after, I heard screams of the helpless. A familiar feeling of fear filled my head. And then the door was kicked in. I snapped out of the flashback and met the harsh gaze behind the shadows. I felt so small, I was helpless, I didn't have my protector to assure me everything was going to be alright. He stepped into the dim lighted room. His boots heavily made its way closer to me. His muscles were visible behind his hide clothing. He wore the fur of an arctic fox along his neck as a scarf. He held a large ax bloodied from my people. "I didn't think it would've been this much of an easy access." he glared at me. His voice was husky, but it managed to shake the last of my soul. "Are you going to speak? Girl?" he folded his arms. His arms were well toned, they weren't disgustingly muscular, but it was definitely impressive. His abdomen had a couple of old scars. I looked on his upper arm and saw a tribal tattoo of the south. I then realized what I was dealing with. Renek Clan. My father told me stories of the south as he lived a few miles from the border. He would tell me he still heard the cries of the innocent being slaughtered in his dreams. If there was one thing that he told me never to go, it was the south. "Renek Clan." I accidentally whispered. "So you know of us? Not surprising," the man huffed. "You're the savages of the south. You guys are murderers!" I added. "Liberators," he corrected, "Or was that what you were told about us?" I stayed silent, there was no way they were liberators. They killed and slaughtered innocents! And I was supposed to wed this man! I then felt his hand lift my chin so our eyes locked. I couldn't help the tears from falling, my sobs prisoner behind my teeth. I wanted to die! "Didn't get your name princess," he reminded. "Unchain me and I will tell you." I bartered. We remained like that for a while, just challenging each other's gazes. Then he lifted his ax and chopped the chains that binded me from my freedom. I took this opportunity to run to the nearby window that was hollow due to the rampaging artillery. The cold wind blew through my hair, each strand flowing towards this strange man. "What are you doing?!" the man grunted. His eyes and frame focused on my next move. I let out a weak smile, "I'm not who you want." I shed another tear, "I'm not my sister, I'm not full royal blood." "Don't you think about it." He grinded his teeth, "You better not." I looked back behind me, witnessing the flames still engulfing what was left. I had nothing left. I looked back at him and muttered, "I promised you my name..." and then barely whispered, "My name is Ryanna." and pushed myself off the ledge. I lost everything; my home, my family, my dad. I had nothing. I could offer nothing. I am nothing. I felt gravity take its course and saw myself looking towards the ground. Maybe I will finally get some peace. And then I felt my body yank against the chains. My ankles popped, and I burst out with immense pain. I saw those strong arms gripping and pulling against the chains, reeling me up. I was too exhausted to yell in pain. But the tears kept falling. How lucky they were to follow through to the ground. He held the chains above his height and our eyes locked once again. "Nice to have you on board Ryanna." He whispered into my ear, "...my wife."