A/N: Hello again. This is a new story of mine and it's a massive AU. If you have any questions review or message me, and please please please review. It really helps me write quicker and better. I'm not really sure what else to say.

For those of you that are reading Marked I am so so so sorry that I haven't updated it in forever but I'm stuck on how to connect something that's done to the rest of the story and I have to get that done before I can post. However if I'm stuck too much longer I am going to end the story but I will have one final chapter explaining the rest of the plot so you'll at least know how it ends. ~*Invisible Rose*~

Fading Light

Chapter One: Light

Dark, dark, dark, dark. Everything is dark. Shades of black and gray so you aren't sure were shadows begin and the surface ends. Few things in this life were white, light, pure and even fewer in this city. Carpathus, capital of Kingdom, city of sorrows at least for me, city of sin for most. I am locked away from everything. Allowed to see very few people and never the city, the castle is my home, but no matter how clichéd it is my father has confined me to a very limited area in it, one of the towers. In 3 months I will be turning 17, and on that day I'll cease to be innocent. Evil men make plans with the intentions of hurting and my father plans on giving me to an evil man, a man I was promised to before I was even born. I don't understand why he protected me from so much when it was just going to come to this but as he would say 'I'm pure, it's not possible for me to understand the evil in man, nor the actions caused by it.' And sadly he is right, no matter how I try I can not understand anything my father does, but no matter how little I understand there is so much more that I don't even know, so much that's been hidden. Because there is so much that I don't understand my father can't understand me either but unlike me he stopped trying to understand a long time ago.

"Lizveth, get away from there. You're father would kill me if he knew you got away from me long enough to get down here." My maid, Mata, said to me. Mata is a gray woman, and no she is not grey because of the color of her hair, though I don't know how old she is I wouldn't guess more then 40. She knows how the world works but she was able to keep a warmth to her, not many have been able to accomplish such a thing. The ones that do tend to quickly make their way to nannies for the wealthy and noble. Mata is the closest thing I have to a mother for mine likes to pretend that I don't exist. I used to try and make her angry, she would see me then but even that stopped working and now I'm completely invisible to her. It's been over 3 years since the last time she spoke to me and that was simply because I was in her way.

"Then we best not alert him." I whispered back at her, peering through a crack in the wall. My father is talking to Man. I call him Man because I have never been told his name. I just know that he is crueler then my father and that I'm to marry him. My father I can see clear as day, the jewels and finery he insists on wearing glitter in the small amount of light that there is making him seem more God than king, Man however dresses only in black as if he is trying to hide. His pale skin is the only part of him I can see giving me his hands and chin. "If I am to marry Man I would like to know what he looks like before I'm 17. It's not fair I'm not allowed." He is tall, much taller then my father and the rest of Man is just as big. Wide shoulders, large hands, he must be strong.

"Princess, please, your father will have me skin if he finds us." Man's eyes found mine. Black and dead and soulless sending shivers of fear down my spine.

"Your right Mata, we should leave." I say chilled to bones by that look. My father might be a bad man but he can still love, I've seen him with my mother and I remember when he would let me see it towards me. Man, has nothing. No spark, no light, just empty. Like a black hole, destined to take everything in and turn it to nothingness.

Two steps is all I'm able to take before my father throws the door open. "What are you doing here?" He shouts grabbing my arm hard enough that I'll have a bruise.

"I wanted to see him." I say unable to look him in the eye, I can see Man watching us but my father doesn't notice. "I am sorry Father but you have known who I was to marry since I was a babe and I don't even know his name." Please be lenient.

"This is the fifth time I've caught you, Lizveth, there with not be a sixth." I can't have heard that correctly. That is the type of threat Father makes before a soldier or guard is killed by his hand.

"What do you mean?" I chance a look; he has the embers back in his eyes, which means this won't be good.

"You wear white for a reason, Lizveth. Do not worry it won't hurt." He's trying to calm me. Another punishment that's simple for any normal person in this city but torture for me.

"I locked doors and it does nothing to stop you. You find a way around everything, so something else must be done, something that won't allow you to pick locks or magic your way through. Man as you call him doesn't want you tainted by anything in this world, and you my little Lizveth are as close to pure innocence that is possibly achieved." He said, placing a hand on my shoulder smiling at me like a he would a small child.

"Father?" he has not told me anything and I already have to wear one awful contraption I don't want another.

"No more questions. Go to your great hall. We will talk about this there." I hate that room. My great hall, I'm not even allowed to eat with everyone else. I've heard whispers from around the castle that most people don't even think I'm real. Sitting down by one of the larger windows I look up at the sky. Millions of stars millions of lights cast in so much darkness. Why does there world get so many lights but mine is only allowed so few and why must lights be so alone?

"For once I wish I had someone that I could love wholly and have them do the same in return." I whispered to myself.

"Now child, you show how truly innocent you are. Love does not exist in this world only in stories. The only 'love'" Man says the word with a sneer "is the physical kind."

"What do you mean?" He can't just mean a kiss, can he?

"That is not for now, little one. Your father said you wanted to see me, here I am." I don't like the way he looks at me. It's as if I'm a piece of meat, cooked and ready to be devoured. He even licks his lips.

"Wh. . ." he won't do anything. He can't yet. "What is your name?"

"Nichola, but the only think you will be calling me is Sir. Understood?" I had never realized how small I am. Man towers over me, and he's so close that even bending my head all the way back doesn't allow me to see his face.

"Yes, Sir." I whispered looking down. I don't like him being this close to me. It's suffocating.

"Good girl." He says stroking my cheek. Goose bumps are raising over my arms, Man I want you to leave. "Now you will not see me again until the wedding, behave, or I will give your father a little more freedom with his punishments for you."

I want to cry. I don't want to understand. I don't want the marriage to come. Father how can you do this? I don't even know what this man wants to do with me and I can already feel the pain.

"Now, Lizveth, your punishment is simple." I don't want to hear it Father. I just want someone to stop it. As I look down I can see the slightest dimming of my white dress. Man doesn't even have me yet but he is already sucking my light away, and like every other star that has fallen victim to a black hole, I can't fight his pull.

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