Luna Sanguineo

Chapter-1

~0O0~

The bare moon shone through the thick canopy of leaves, the forest air strangely silent and riddled with something powerful.

"It's the princess's wedding tomorrow, My Lord" a wheezing voice carried faintly across the meadow.

"Excellent" the other man mused regarding the full moon, his voice laced with power, the moonlight glistening off the lean muscles of his bare torso. "Just in time for dinner."

~0O0~

The young maiden dodged through the bustling crowd with ease, a worn out wicker basket clutched in her small hands. Merry shouts filled the market air and a couple of children raced past her, their tiny faces muddy and shrieking with laughter. The air around her suddenly carried an aroma of something exotic; something that made her stop on her tracks and inspect its source. Her eyes fixed on a fairly large shop to her left, were sacks of brightly colored spices huddled on the dirt ground together. Her eyes started to burn while the shop owner, a podgy man dressed in white caught her gaze and gave her a wide smile.

"Would you like a bit of cinnamon, miss?" he called out merrily "They're fresh from the land of spices!"

She found herself moving over to the row of sacks without quite meaning to, her mind far away. She traced a finger along the edge of the brown fabric and absently listened as the man chatted on about the source of his condiment, the best ones in town, he made it a necessity to assure her every five minutes, sourced from a place called Kerala, tucked away along the southern coast line of India.

"The place's completely green and the rains heavy, but the humidity, bless my soul! I'm always glad to get back on the ship and trudge back onto Europe, however wet though it may be!" the man laughed merrily and she wondered idly what they had been talking about. Spices, her muggy brain came up with a second later, and he had done all the talking. "So how about a spot of chilly, miss? And I'll add in some pudina, they're mint leaves mind you; I've heard they're very effective in digestion...Miss?"

"Yes." She looked up startled "Yes, I'll have that. Thanks."

As she accepted the bag of condiments, her nose tickled by the aroma of the mint leaves, she wondered idly why she hadn't ventured out into the markets before. She had never felt the need to, she supposed after a moment of reflection, and had contended her mind with other activities that now seemed so childish and forlorn. Here was a world that had been open to her for the past seventeen years and not once had she entertained the idea to explore it.

And now she regretted in with every bone in her body, for tomorrow as the church bell struck twelve she would be whizzed of to a new kingdom, new people and a new life, all the while, the life she had spend here seemed almost unsatisfactory and dull.

"Your majesty" a slightly breathless voice rasped in her ear "We must return to the castle. It is getting late"

Annabeth offered a weak smile at the podgy woman wheezing at her side "I'm sorry for running off Sylvia. I admit I lost track of time. Would you like some spices, I heard mint is good for digestion, and it's from Kerala!"

Annabeth held the bag of condiments up while Sylvia strutted out a shaky thank you; spices where after all quite expensive.

"We must head back though; the dress rehearsal is in an hour. The queen won't appreciate tardiness."

Annabeth sighed warily, staring at the looming castle in the distance, her home for the past seventeen years, that had now become her prison. Or it had always been a prison, a golden cage, and she had never realized her lack of freedom until recently.

"Yes, Sylvia, let's go home."

~0O0~

Annabeth stared passively at her reflection in the golden ornate mirror, the sunlight streaming in through the open window by her side making her flowing hair glow like golden fire, the wreath of pale gardenias, plucked fresh that morning from the royal gardens, carefully pinned into the blonde strands by a dozen excited hands. Her gaze fell lower, the same expression of indifference marring her features, as she drank in the sight of her body, clad in the softest silk in the shade of pure white. The chattering of her maids, as they moved around the room and made the last preparations, buzzed at the back of Annabeth's mind. Her chest clenched painfully with each staggering breath she drew and her stomach spammed at the sight of her; carefully pinned up and polished like a display in a trophy case, for others to marvel and the most to worthy to take home.

"Princess"

She turned around after a moment, and met the eyes of her most trusted maid and friend, Piper Mclean. She saw her own jumbled emotions glaring back at her in the brunette's multi colored eyes and the anxiety and helplessness that had gripped her heart since last month swept over her with such force that her breath hitched for a moment. Piper gave her a small, nervous smile while fixing Annabeth's already flawless attire and for a moment Annabeth was transported back to a winter evening years ago. She had been ten, she remembered, and had slipped and fallen into the shallow garden pond. Piper had shouted at her from the banks but Annabeth had been numb from cold and couldn't move a limb. Finally Piper had waded through the chilling water herself, fighting her shivering teeth, and soiling her own clothes that had earned her a severe punishment from the head maid.

The memory brought tears to her eyes and she couldn't pin point if it was because she missed the carefree days of her child hood or how much she was going to miss her best friend in a few weeks.

"Hey, Annie" Piper soft voice brought her out of her thoughts and she saw the brunette was fighting back tears as well. "It's going to be fine. Just get through tonight and there's always the possibility that his highness might reconsider.

Annabeth refrained from crushing her hopes and instead just held onto the brunette, even though inside she knew it wouldn't matter if her father reconsidered or not. This had to be done. She had to be married for the very survival of their kingdom. The fate of her people hung dangerously on her actions, and Annabeth felt she would rather spend the rest of her days in misery than go back on her duties and lay ruin to a section of people whose dreams counted on her.

"Annabeth"

Piper scrambled back as the regal voice filled the room. The brunette bowed low and hurried out the door with the other giggling girls but not before shooting Annabeth another small, nervous smile. The blonde half-wished she could run behind her friend as well, but instead she took a deep breath and met the frigid stare of her mother standing in the door way.

Athena was dressed as flawlessly as ever, in a violet silk gown commissioned from the latest designs from Paris and her dark hair, adorned with streaks of grey put up in a tight bun on her head, glaringly highlighting the fact that this woman made no mistakes, her movements were worked down to the last twitch of her elegant fingers. Her crown, a golden monstrosity etched with diamonds and rubies, sparkled crazily in the bright sunlight.

"You look beautiful, daughter." Her mother declared, her voice as cold and distant as it had been a moment ago, and Annabeth suddenly got the uneasy feeling that her mother had somehow prepared the entire conversation before. "I'm sure you must be beyond happy today and looking forward to the blessed ceremony tomorrow."

"Yes, mother." The blonde replied stiffly after a moment, even though inside she wanted to scream and tear this dress off and pull her hair and run away and just bloody do something that would tell her mother and this entire kingdom that she wasn't fine being given away like some sort of trophy to a man she barely knew. Instead, she calmly collected her thoughts and met the piercing grey eyes of the queen, who she kept having to remind herself was actually her blood, trying in vain to conceal the hate and anger she felt bubbling in her stomach like acid.

Athena nodded and walked into the room, her soft foothills echoing on the polished marble floor "It is the most excellent match. King Hermes has assured me that if this marriage was to go through, the kingdom of Kine would extend its unlimited support to Eviola. Such promise of safety is priceless in these drastic conditions, as you very well know my dear daughter. It would do well if you kept in mind the fate of our dear kingdom Eviola rests on your shoulder and it would be most satisfactory if you would refrain from succumbing to your…usual non aristocratic tendencies tomorrow."

Athena regarded her for a moment with her piercing steel gaze, and the blonde suddenly realized that that was the sole attribute she shared with the woman who had given birth to her. She suddenly felt a little cold and lonely and found herself no longer able to look at the stern face, whose thin lips she could never actually remember sparing her a hint of a genuine smile.

"Of course, mother." Annabeth replied passively, her gaze now wandering towards the open window. Athena stood still for a moment and looked like she was considering adding something else, but in the end gave her daughter a stiff nod before quietly gliding out of the room. Annabeth barely heard her mother leave the room, as she leaned out into the open, fresh air through the beautifully carved window frame, careful to not wrinkle her dress, though the desire rose out of duty more than anything. She could spot elegant carriages arriving in the lush green grounds below her and ladies in sparkling diamonds and ivory gowns gliding towards the open castle doors. There was laughter and merriment from the royal guests and suddenly Annabeth felt sick, as the notion gripped her that she would the most miserable person on her wedding day, when she was quite positive that wasn't considered an attribute of a happy marriage.

Instead she let herself watch the clear, black night sky(had time passed so fat?), a small part of her comforted by the fact that though everything else seemed to crumble around her, there were others which would always remain the same.

The Kingdom of Eviola, though smaller in area than most of its neighbors, was the centre of knowledge in the entire land. Anyone who wished to become any one, would have spent at least a term in one of the kingdom's many prospering universities. Her father, King Frederick had ascended the throne at nineteen after her grandfather had met with an untimely demise in the forests down east, which was always plagued by rebels and other…creatures. Frederick had managed to keep the kingdom going, barely, until one spring evening in the market, where he met a seventeen year old refugee, with piercing grey eyes. When they married, Athena took over the reins from the shadows and the kingdom prospered. It had been Annabeth's favorite story as a child, a tale that celebrated true love, the sacrifices her father had made, turning his back on the court and the whole kingdom when he married the orphaned foreigner, sullying the pure blood lines of the royal family. The tale had left a permanent mark on her soul and her young mind had sworn that she too would have a true love story once she reached her prime.

But as the seasons changed and the leaves turned red, Annabeth's view of the world took a drastic change. She met Piper, whose mother had abandoned her father right after she was born. She met Nico, a silent sullen boy who helped in the Royal Stables, whose father had murdered his mother and sister when he was a child, and abandoned his son on the streets. And yet she childishly hung onto the hope that her life would be different, her future wouldn't be riddled with such hurdles, her days would be sunshine and love.

Now she could barely contain the storm that raged in her chest, when she thought of her life traded over to strangers, her willingness assured by the grim shackles of duty towards her kingdom. She sighed as the maidens re entered the room, still giggling for some absurd reasons. She closed her eyes as they started to gently pull the dress from her body, relishing at the feel of the silk leaving her skin and the cold night air on her bare shoulders. She felt free, if only for a moment.

"My lady, the king and queen wishes for your presence at the dining hall" Piper whispered as she started unweave the gardenias from Annabeth's hair.

"Will Malcolm be joining us?" the blonde inquired warily.

"His highness is already seated, my lady. They are merely waiting for your arrival."

Annabeth grimaced, having hoped to catch a few moments alone but she nodded tightly.

Duty called and she was always stupid enough to entertain it.

~0O0~

"It is nice of you to finally join us, my daughter."

Annabeth ignored her mother's frigid greeting as she strode into the vast dining hall and took her seat next to her brother, the future king.

"Athena, it is the girl's wedding tomorrow" her father chuckled affectionately from the head of the table, and if anyone else noted the tiredness in his voice they didn't comment on it "She is privy to be excited and be a little late for dinner!"

"I heard of the prosperous event, sister. A well deserved congratulation is in order." Malcolm announced politely, his face unreadable as he cut his meat into small pieces. "Prince Luke is indeed a fortunate man."

Liar. Annabeth thought amusedly. Malcolm hated the smug Prince of Kine. They had been forced to spend time together as children at various balls and parties, and Luke had always been, in her brother's own words, a poncy little brat. In fact, Malcolm, along with Piper was the only one who knew how much Annabeth had hated this union. He was helpless, she knew, not yet having received the crown, though they both privately agreed that whether this union could be stopped or not it had to happen, for these where very dark times indeed, the streets crawling with dark witches and werewolves and the protection promised by King Hermes may just give them the edge that they so painfully needed.

"Thank you, brother" she replied equally emotionlessly, taking a sip of wine, keeping up pretence for her mother's cold, calculating eyes. "I take the hunting trip went well?"

Malcolm hesitated before swallowing "We captured another band of rogues near the forest of Dublin. Shape shifters, though we can't vouch for their identity for certain."

Worry lines deepened around Fredrick Chase's haggard face, but he pursed his lips and merely regarded his son with a blank stare.

"Are they the last ones?" Athena inquired sharply "Is the west side of the forest safe?"

"More or so" Malcolm nodded thoughtfully "Perhaps a few isolated creatures, though I hardly think they could cause any severe damage."

"But the East" her father whispered, and a small chill passed down Annabeth's spine at how haunted it sounded. Grandfather Chase had lost his life down there, leaving her father to tidy up the mess.

"We are still unable to gain access to the east forest" Malcolm replied regretfully "It is quite heavily guarded, and we need more men and weapons"

"That's quite all right." Athena announced briskly "By tomorrow the solution shall be in our hands. King Hermes' cavalry is quite reputed for its size. We shall be rid of this little problem by next month."

Malcolm opened his mouth, probably to spew out more information about their strategies but Athena held up a hand.

"Any more discussions on the topic, we shall continue in my chambers." Athena's eyes met Annabeth's for a second "Diner is for family matters"

Annabeth wordlessly spooned soup into her mouth, already quite used to her mother's subtle hints. Athena always left her out of the kingdom plans, always left her in the dark on what was happening out in the world, though Annabeth had no idea why. She wasn't about to stand down though and had always crouched by Athena's chamber and eavesdropped any chance she got. She had learned a lot through those shenanigans, and though she suspected Malcolm knew, he never mentioned it.

Tonight though, she was too sore and exhausted to listen in on her mother and brother, and as soon as diner was finished, muttered a hasty excused and headed towards her chambers, the thought of her warm bed causing her legs to hasten. She realized with a slight pang, that tonight would be the last night she would be using it and tomorrow-tomorrow was as dark and mysterious as the night sky outside.

"Princess!"

Annabeth whirled around and squinted into the dark shadows of one of the castle gardens, for she was in one of the open corridors that faced it.

"Who's there?" Annabeth asked, spotting a tall shadow near one of the stone pillar.

"It is I, Nico, princess" the figure said moving into the light of one of the torch lights.

Annabeth let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the pale boy, though it was odd he was talking to her now, for she couldn't ever remember any exchange of words between them.

"Is there anything wrong, Nico?" she inquired, taking note of the boys slightly haggard stance and the way his dark eyes scanned the room frantically.

"It's-It's Porkpie, your princess, he is terribly ill!"

Annabeth started at the information on her mare, a gift from her father when she had been seven "I shall sent for the royal physician immediately."

"I'm afraid there won't be time, princess" Nico stepped towards her "The Royal physician has been sent home for preparation of tomorrow's ceremony!"

"Very well. I shall come with you then"

Annabeth stepped into the freezing night as Nico grabbed a torch light from behind her and led the way. She couldn't be sure but she thought she kept seeing shadows beside her, as though there was someone else lurking around in the dark garden, just out of her reach. She shook her head and mentally cursed herself for having too much wine at dinner, and hurried after Nico, her eyes fixed on the dim light that the torch lit.

She burst into the empty stable, and found Porkpie completely fine, eating a clump of carrot, and she suddenly knew, she fucking knew without having to turn around that she had walked right into a trap.

"Help-"

Her hoarse scream was cut off as something heavy hit the back of her head and she fell to the dirt ground. She could make out two faces above her through her rapidly blurry vision before unconsciousness settled in and the silent darkness embraced her into a deep sleep.

~0O0~

A/N; I feel quite drained, having typed up this chapter in one go and have no idea what to put here. This was a small idea that had been running around in my head for a few days and I would love to hear your thoughts on it!

Luna sanguine means blood moon. Or at least that's what I hope it means, since I don't speak Latin and had to rely on Google translate!