Chapter 1

Ch.1 

A young boy of fifteen stepped out onto the arena, his long red hair fanned behind him like a flag as the crowd cheered. Barrett ignored the familiar roar of the people who looked down at him in the gladiator pit as he stepped into the center. 

Barrett's hands shook as pain coursed through his aching body from the beating he took last night from his father, who sat in the highest chair amongst the people. Sitting there atop the fancy throne was none other than Tyrixen Connmael, the King of Connmael, and his father. 

Sitting next to the plump tyrannical King was the first-born prince, Javren of seventeen, as was the son of Queen Viklilian. Barrett's mother, Olenda Draemen, was the daughter of Duke Draemen and was once one of the Queen's lady-in-waiting and closest friends until she ended up in the king's bed one drunken night. Nine long months after that drunken night, poor little Barrett was born, and his mother became the king's mistress. 

The cranking of the gate had Barrett returning his attention to the beast just beyond it. When the gate was opened, a scaly beast with a snake-like head flickered its tongue as it stepped out into the arena. Its claw-tipped wings dug into the blood-soaked sand as it walked, and its long whip-like tail swished behind it as it moved. 

Barrett sucked in a deep breath as he stepped towards the Lindworm that roared so loud that the ground shook beneath his feet, then the fight for survival began…..

Barrett's mind suddenly awakened as he sensed a presence moving closer. He kept his eyes closed as they approached. 

What was that smell? He wondered. 

What was this unfamiliar cold but warm energy he felt? 

When whoever it was close enough, he reached up and grabbed them by the throat as he rolled them so that he was lying on top of them. When his sleepy vision cleared, he froze at the sight of her hypnotic beauty, which made his stone-cold heart flutter. Her long, ink-black wavy hair falls around her lean but muscular…curvy…body. 

Her eyes were the color of the purest amethyst, framed by an elvish face with slightly pointed ears. She was petite, maybe half his height, with skin so light it looked silver in the glow of the moonlight from the windows that illuminated her features.

"Who are you?" he growled, trying not to let his body react to the beauty beneath him, "Who sent you?" 

"No one sent me," she gasped, "I swear!"

The bedroom doors flew open as Conrad, a tall and stocky man, who stood at possibly six foot two, with short brown hair and brown eyes, wearing the Dukedom's black and gold coat of armor with the Draemen family crest (crossed swords, a roaring bear framed by a shield), charged into the room with a group of armed knights. He was the leader of the Northern Black Knights and Barrett's right-hand man.

"I sense demonic energy coming from her; cuff her and throw her in the dungeon!" commands Barrett. 

"Hold on a moment!" yells the exotic beauty, "Why are you throwing me into the dungeon!" 

Conrad scoffed as he placed cuffs made from magical cores found in demons around her wrists, "You are the one who attempted to assassinate our Lord, and you are asking why we are putting you in the dungeon?" 

"What? Assassinate?" Saiyah felt conflicted as they dragged her out of the room, "I'm not an assassin; I wasn't going to kill him!" 

Conrad shoved at Saiyah as she tried to fight back, "Like we haven't heard that before…We will learn the truth after you are interrogated." 

"I am Saiyah Marzenie; if my father, King Varjo Marzenie, hears that you have imprisoned me, he will kill every last one of you!" 

"And they will feel the blades of our swords," says Conrad as he shoves her into a cell made of demonic ore.

Barrett strides in with an imposing presence, his menacing figure accentuated by the black and gold armor he wears. As he moves, his cape billows behind him, adding to the grandeur of his entrance. He stops in front of Saiyah's cell, crossing his arms as he glares down at her. 

Saiyah gazed up at the imposing man with long hair, the color of congealed blood that fell to his shoulders, and a shaggy, unkempt beard that partially obscured his face. His rugged features, marked by jagged scars, gave him a fierce appearance. Despite this, his deep blue eyes held a captivating allure. He was as massive as a bear, standing at an imposing six foot eight, and a large broadsword with a bear motif carved into the handle hung from his waist. This man was none other than Duke Barrett Draemen, known as the Bear of the North and the illegitimate son of King Connmael. 

"Who sent you?" asked Barrett, "Was it the King? Maybe the Crown Prince?" "Like I told your knight, I did not come here to kill you; I swear," Saiyah says as she starts to feel weak from the demon ore, sapping her powers.

"So, if you are not an assassin, then who the hell are you, and why were you in my room?" asked Barrett with a raised brow. Barrett felt amazed at how enchanting she looked as she sat there on the dungeon floor with her arms around her knees. It took everything he had not to look into those amethyst-colored eyes as they looked up at him. 

"I guess I will have to repeat myself," Saiyah sighed. "My name is Saiyah Marzenie, the princess of the Marzenie Kingdom. I am a dream demon and dream demons feed off of energy created by nightmares. I was in the area, hunting for a meal, and felt a strong sense of nightmare energy that led me to your room.

"A dream demon?" asked Conrad, "Isn't the King of Marzenie a dream demon?" 

"Yes," answered Barrett, "And the Queen is said to be a shadow demon, daughter of Duke Shadowfall." Barrett rubbed at his chin as he looked down at Saiyah, conflicted about if he should trust her, and honestly not wanting to let her free just yet…"I'm not sure if I should trust what you say, so I will give you a room and keep an eye on you to know if I can trust you or not." 

Saiyah sighed and rolled her eyes. "I guess it's better than being in this cell; it's soaking up all of my energy."

Barrett felt his heart flicker at the thought of bringing her harm but shoved it down as he turned to face Conrad, "Take her to a guest room in the east wing. She is to stay in the room and make sure there are armed guards at the door." 

Conrad bowed his head, "As you command, my Lord." And then stepped forward to unlock the cell. 

Saiyah suppressed a groan as she struggled to stand, her head swimming from the draining effects of the demonic ore. Her shackles remained in place as the guards led her up the weathered stone steps of the dungeon, navigating a labyrinth of dimly lit passageways. As she trudged along, Saiyah couldn't help but notice the jagged fissures in the unadorned stone walls, an indication that the castle, despite housing knights, seemed indifferent to its interior aesthetics. The stark disparity between the Duke's stronghold and her childhood castle was evident at every turn. After rounding a corner, they proceeded down a corridor until they came to a halt before a solid wooden door.

"This is a guest room that the maids always maintain," Barrett explained as he opened the door. 

Barrett pushes open the wooden door, revealing a simple room. Inside, there's a four-poster bed with a large quilt made of different furs, a small dining table, a small fireplace, a few fur rugs, and a sitting area with a table and two intricately carved wooden clawfoot couches made out of brown leather. 

"You are to remain in this room until I can trust that you are here to kill me," says Barrett as he motions for Saiyah to enter the room, "I will choose a maid to assist you, and if you need anything, tell one of the guards at the door." 

"What about these cuffs?" Saiyah asked as she stepped into the room, trying not to show that the demon ore was affecting her. 

"Until I can trust you, they stay on," Barrett insists, "Who knows what powers you are hiding." 

Saiyah clenched her fists in frustration but decided not to lash out. Duke Barrett didn't trust her and could kill her anytime he felt threatened; Saiyah sighed, then nodded that she understood.

Barrett raised a brow, then nodded before stepping through the door, closing it behind him with a thud. 

With the doors now closed, Saiyah groaned as she stumbled towards the bed before collapsing on top of the soft fur quilt, wondering what was going to happen to her. No one would come looking for her for a little while because she was known to disappear and return subtly. All she wanted was to find something to eat, but now she lay imprisoned in none other than Duke Barrett Draemen's castle. 

Saiyah has heard stories about Duke Draemen, who people tended to call the Bear of the North. Barrett was known for being the illegitimate son of King Tyrixon Connmael and was said to have gone mad and was sent to the North, where he inherited the Draemen Dukedom after his Grandfather passed away. Saiyah tried to avoid fodder gossip but had always been a little curious about the Bear of the North. 

Back in the Marzenie Kingdom, Saiyah was the second child of King Varjo and Queen Blaythe. She looked a lot like her mother but had the same hair and eye color as her father, and her powers were a blend of them both. Her brother Zaylem, who was two years older than her thirty and was the Crown Prince of the Marzenie Kingdom, was the firstborn child. Zaylem looked more like their Father, tall but lean and muscled with dark purple eyes but had their mother's burgundy-colored hair. 

The Dreameater powers were from her father. Like how a vampire needs blood and a succubus needs sexual energy to survive, Saiyah needs nightmare energy. Still, thanks to her mother's Shadowwalker blood, Saiyah can eat human food, but she also needs nightmare energy, or she becomes very sick and could fall into a coma.

Her Dreamwalker abilities allow her to connect her mind to those suffering from bad memories and nightmares. Once she connects to their minds, she can "create" nightmares. With her Shadwwalker abilities, she can manipulate the ether, where she stores her weapons and other supplies from the void; she can travel through the ether, using shadows as portals, and turn into a shadowy wisp. 

There was a sudden knock on the door that frightened Saiyah out of her stupor. 

"Come in," Saiyah croaked as she sat up in the bed. 

The door creaked open, and a maid stepped inside. She was about five foot eight, with chin-length chestnut-colored hair, hazel eyes, and dark tan skin. Her slender body was clothed in a typical maid outfit.

"Hello, my name is Aubry, and I will be the maid to help you during your stay," she says as she steps through the door. The Duke sent me to see if there was anything the princess needed." 

"Thank you, Aubry; I will need something to sleep in," Saiyah replied, "I don't need anything else; I'm tired and just want to sleep." 

Aubry bowed her head. "Understood. I will see if I can find something for you to wear, and I shall return." 

Aubry left the princess's room, awestruck by her exotic beauty and how she was so nice to a commoner maid. When the Dule had told her she was chosen to assist the demon princess, she thought that the demon princess would be an ugly monster and would act like the beast that roamed the mountains, but Aubry realized that she was wrong. 

The maid made her way down the hallway and through the maze of corridors until she stood before the Duke's office. The office doors had been propped open, revealing the Duke behind his desk as he read through the papers on his desk. 

Barrett looked up as he felt a presence in the doorway, recognizing Aubry, who he had appointed to the princess.

"How is Princess Saiyah?" he asked. 

After he had left Saiyah's room, he had to distract himself from thinking about her… Every time he thought of her, his mind wandered to when she was pinned under him as those hypnotic gems looked up at him in fear…This made him wonder what she would look like in the trill of passion… naked bodies entwined together… 

"I was surprised by how beautiful she is; she doesn't look how I imagined," Aubry explained. 

Barrett groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. His mind wandered again, making his lower body stir uncomfortably. "I wasn't asking about "what" she looked like; I was asking about "how" she looked and if she needed anything." 

"She looked a little pale, and she only asked for something to sleep in." 

Barrett was worried about her looking pale but remembered that her skin was already pale, so he pushed away the thought and then said, "Give her something of Bella's to wear. It will be a bit big on her, but it's the best we have for a princess." 

"Understood, my Lord," Aubry said with a bow of her head, then set off towards Bella's room in the East wing. 

Belladonna was the daughter of Godric Thorborn, who worked as the butler and assistant for the Duke. Unfortunately, Bella's mother was a mermaid who met Godric while he worked as a mercenary. After Godric's wife died at the hands of the Holy Knights, he retired and needed a safe home for his young daughter. At the time, Bella was only five years old when Barrett, who was not yet the Duke, met them and brought them to his home. The previous Duke had hired Godric as a stable hand. When Barrett became the Duke, he appointed Godric as his butler. 

When Aubry got to Bella's room, she knocked on the door. She only had to wait a few moments before the door opened, which had been opened by Rosalie, Bella's maid. 

Rosalie was shorter than Aubry and had a mop of curly red hair that she wore in a braid over her shoulder, with green eyes, and her face was dotted with freckles. 

"Aubry" What are you doing here?" asked Rosalie, with a bewildered look on her face. 

"The Duke asked me to fetch a nightgown of Miss Bella's, for the princess to wear," Aubry answered. 

"Alright, I will ask the Miss, give me a moment." 

A few minutes later, the door opened, and Rosalie motioned for Aubry to step into the room. 

Once inside, she looked around the room, noticing how different the Miss's room looked compared to the guest room the princess was staying in. This room was the only room that was decorated in the castle, with a large four-poster canopy bed with a large white fur blanket the Duke gifted her on her for her birthday. There were also many white fur rugs on the floor, a small dining table, a dressing table, and a sitting area with white leather couches. 

Sitting on the couch, sipping tea, was twenty-year-old Belladonna, with her heart-shaped face framed by long, curly pink hair that she inherited from her mother and bright green eyes from her father. Bella stood at five foot ten and was lean but muscular. She tended to wear a lace tunic and pants instead of a dress, was one of the best archers in the Dukedom, and often joined the Duke and the Northern Black Knights when they went demon hunting. 

Bella was the most beautiful woman in the north, that is, until the princess appeared…

Everyone in the Dukedom knew that Belladonna had a major crush on the Duke and liked to tell every unmarried woman that she was to be married to the Duke and would be the next Duchess. 

Aubry wondered how Bella would react when she heard about the princess's exotic beauty.

As Aubry approached, Bella set down her teacup and said, "I heard the Duke asked me to give the princess one of my nightgowns… I heard she was a demon from the demon realm. Have you seen her yet?" 

"Yes, Miss Bella, I have seen the princess; I heard that her name is Saiyah Marzenie, the princess of the Marzenie Kingdom." 

"Is she hideous?" asked Bella. 

"No, Miss, she is surprisingly beautiful with long black hair and purple eyes." 

"Hmm, well, it matters none; I know the Duke cherishes me and wouldn't choose some demon princess as his Duchess," Says Bella. The place next to Barrett belongs to me." With a sigh, Bella turns to address Rosalie, "Rose, hand Aubry one of my sleeping gowns for the princess to use." 

After Rosalie handed the gown to Aubry, Aubry returned to the princess's room, where she spotted Gram and Nicholas guarding the door. 

"I have come to help the princess change," says Aubry, trying not to blush as she talks to Gram. He was a handsome knight who had joined not too long ago. Aubry heard that the Duke saved him from a slave trader. Gram was half dark elf, with a tall, slender body, light grayish skin, pointed ears, long silver-white hair, and silver-gray eyes. Aubry found him exotic and beautiful, like the princess. 

Gram nodded, then opened the door for her to enter. With a thank you, she entered the room to find that the princess had fallen asleep. Very quietly, Aubry removed the princess's black leather top and brown leather pants, trying not to be rude and admire her voluptuous and curvy figure that would even make a straight woman swoon. Once the princess was changed, Aubry left the room, leaving the demon princess to sleep. 

"Sleep well, princess,"