The fire always came first.
Crimson flames licking up stone walls, screams echoing through halls she barely remembered, and the scent—something between roses and ash.
Then came the voice.
Soft. Low. Not cruel, not kind.
It whispered her name like it didn't belong to her.
"Viviana…"
Princess Vivi jolted upright in her bed, the silk sheets damp with sweat and moonlight dripping through the stained-glass windows. Her heart pounded—a silent rhythm she'd learned never to share. Dreams, in the palace, were dangerous things.
She reached for the veil at her bedside, her fingers brushing its sheer lavender fabric. The moment it draped over her face, she exhaled. Safety. Obedience. Isolation.
A knock at her chamber door.
Three short raps. Formal. Fearful.
"Your Highness," came a servant's voice, muffled through wood. "The High Council is assembling. There's news… from the northern borders."
Another pause.
"Your new guardian arrives today."
Vivi didn't move. Not yet.
They told her the veil was for her protection.
But some days—she wondered if it was to protect others… from her.
📖 Caused Beauty
Chapter 1 (continued): The Girl Behind the Veil
Vivi descended the marble steps of the east wing like a wraith, her veil floating behind her like morning mist. Servants bowed as she passed, careful never to meet her eyes. In this palace, beauty was not praised it was feared.
She entered the Council Chamber, where the air always smelled of parchment, dust, and slow-burning tension. Twelve robed figures turned as she approached, their eyes veiled in respect—or suspicion.
At the center stood Regent Maelor, her uncle by blood, her keeper by law.
"Princess Viviana," he said, voice clipped. "We have… developments."
She said nothing. That was her role. A presence, not a voice.
"Another outpost has fallen in the North," Maelor continued. "We believe Viper's forces are spreading beyond the Black Forest."
Murmurs stirred among the council.
"Was it the curse?" one whispered.
"No," another hissed. "It's Viper's doing. He seeks the girl to finish what he started,
Vivi lifted her chain. The council had always spoken around her , like she was more rumor then ruler. Maelor cleared his throat.
"To ensure your safety , the council has appointed A new guardian, He arrives today chosen from Shadow guard's. He paused
A Man not easily controlled".
Vivi's hands clenched beneath her sleeves.
"They say he is cursed," Maelor added. "As you are. Perhaps he will understand."
A strange silence fell. Somewhere deep inside her, the dream flickered again—flames, howling, and that voice.
Viviana.
🌒 Cut to: Later that evening – Palace Courtyard
The torches were lit when he arrived.
Not on horseback. Not flanked by guards. Just a tall figure in a dark cloak, striding through the gates like he belonged there. Two guards moved to stop him then stepped back, shaken by something they didn't speak aloud.
Vivi watched from the balcony, hidden behind a curtain. Her heartbeat slowed when she saw him.
Broad-shouldered. Weathered. Eyes like winter storms.
She didn't need to be told.
This was Haken.
Her new shadow. Her beast.
And something in her heart whispered a truth she wasn't ready for,
He would either save her life Or end it.