Getting married was something- even when her parents had died- that Sakura knew she wanted. Growing up, her parents were the perfect example of the power love has- unfaltering in their loyalty and trust in one in another they had been a powerful team. True, they had only been modest bakers- but somehow their bakery had always seemed to her to be filled with life and light. When they died, she had mourned their loss but had done everything she could to keep the light of the bakery- even in the midst of a war.
A war that was now over.
Now, she was getting married but it wasn’t anything like she had ever hoped for. She didn’t love her betrothed- in fact, she had never even met him- all she knew about him was that he had conquered her home, killed her people and wasn’t human. She should have been scared out of her mind, but as she left behind the only home she had ever known- she only felt a steady determination.
She didn’t want this- but she had chosen it. When the decree had been spread, shortly after the war had ended- their new ruler wanted a wife and one woman must be sent, whether of noble birth or not- there had been absolute chaos. No one- girl, mother, father, uncle, aunt, grandfather or grandmother wanted to send any one. She had been delivering bread to the castle when her former king had decided to send his daughter- a girl Sakura had grown to be friends with and knew she was in love with another- when Sakura had volunteered herself instead. She hadn’t been sure in that moment exactly why she had done it, but now that Sakura had time to think she knew why. It was partly because she hadn’t wanted to see her friend suffer, but also another part of her had always wanted a way out of her sleepy town. Admittedly- it wasn’t the best decision she ever made, but it was one she had made herself.
Sakura didn’t know if she could love him, but she would do her best to be his equal and be a representation of her people.
She had hope for peace and for more out of her life. Hope, even when she saw the large foreign castle looming ominously above her, that remained constant.
He had been cursed because of his father and the deeds that the dead man had done, hos sins had been past down onto his son, making it so tha the never aged, wasn’t able to go out in the daylight and that he never aged.
It had most of his subjects afraid of him, no woman would look at him without disgust on their face and when the word broke that he was looking for a wife, no one came forward or even volunteered their daughters to him. It had made him grow even more depressed and withdrawn leaving the task up to his staff to find a woman for the lonely king.
They had looked far and wide till getting word back that a former king had put his daughter forward to be married to Axel, but when they got there they found another in her place and was told that she volunteered to go in the daughters place, they had not minded and simply took Sakura instead.
Even though he had heard that they had found someone for him he didn’t venture out of his personal quarters, having his food delivered to his door. Once they arrived with her, one of the members of his court pulled her aside gently and explained that she probably wouldn’t see her soon to be husband much as no one in the castle did anymore.
As he heard the commotion of people arriving he slowly made his way down from his room, dark bags under his could be seen but no one mentioned it as the king stood in front of them.
the-solitary-monster 