My Forbidden Love

Chapter 4: Haunting Faces

It was years before I came to be where I am now. Godfather was cruel to me and I had practically no life. He continued to supervise me to no end. I was chained and locked up deep down. I was forbidden to ever leave the land of Diroshi. It was a nightmare, and yet I still survived. Marriage to another whom I have never met was not my idea but life, so I tried to bear with it. I never told Godfather of what I am. If I did, he would have had me beheaded. He despises demons so. So here I was, chained to a never-ending fate of cruelty when I saw him once more, but different than before.

A young woman sat at the edge of the forest, her long maroon tresses fell down her back like a long wave of silk. Her burgundy eyes portrayed the sadness in her heart. 'Why must Godfather be so stubborn? You'd think he'd let me wander a bit. But then again, he wouldn't want his precious heiress to get kidnapped by demons,' she thought rather viciously. 'I'm not some little kid! I can defend myself!' She sighed, laying the rose she had in her hand on the soft green grass. 'Why did I subject myself to human life again?' she asked herself.

"Lady Monica, what are you doing out here? You know your Godfather forbid you to be so near the forest," cried one of the servants, rushing over to her. She sighed in exasperation.

"Eriko, I'm quite aware of my Godfather's declarations, and to be honest, I'm getting tired of them. You and he should know by now that the forest is practically where I was born. To keep me away from it would be like taking away the air I breathe."

"Lady Monica!" exclaimed poor Eriko. "Do you not care for your own safety at all? Demons could be lurking around here plotting to kidnap you for ransom!"

"I don't care! At least I'd be away from here! You don't know how secluded I've felt since I came to this place, and all because I was the most well mannered of all the children at the orphanage! This place is no home to me," Monica growled in response.

A young man suddenly approached them, a grave look adorning his face. Monica groaned in response. "Lady Monica, your Godfather wishes to see you."

"Another one of his lectures again Jun?" she asked with annoyance. Jun nodded in response, his blue eyes full of sympathy.

"You'd better report to him right away Lady Monica, before his temper starts acting up," he advised. Monica nodded and left almost at once, the rose still laid in the grass behind her.

"Monica, I'm quite disappointed in you. You stray to the forest once again. You know I disapprove of you going so near there," boomed an angry voice. Monica bowed in response.

"I'm sorry Godfather, but I cannot help myself. It was, after all, my home at once time. I cannot ignore it," was her reply, her voice monotone.

The emperor nodded in response, but continued to frown, his gray eyes serious. "I understand, but still, you don't want to end up like Nobu, my first and only son and heir." Monica flinched slightly.

"No, I do not Emperor Daichi," she responded quietly, though secretly, she wished to be so. 'Though I'm not saying anything to him about it,' she added in her head as she took a quick glance at the golden haired man before her.

"But that is not why I called you here right now," Daichi interrupted her thoughts. She continued to frown, her eyes narrowing.

"Then why did you summon me Godfather?" she asked.

"You are aware that there has never been a female ruler in the history of Diroshi, and we do not intend to start now. I have found a suitable husband for you and have arranged a marriage for you two in two months."

"A-a marriage?" she stuttered looking quite shocked at this news.

"Yes, you shall marry Yuudai. He will be arriving this afternoon. You are to make him feel at home here as much as possible, understand?" Monica bowed grudgingly once more.

"Understood," she mumbled.

"You know you are quite the lovely lady Monica. I'm so happy we're engaged!" blabbed a young man with brown eyes and blonde hair. Monica groaned silently.

'Make it stop!'

"Is there something wrong Lady Monica? You don't seem well," questioned the young man beside her.

"Oh, its nothing Yuudai! I'm perfectly fine!" she said, giving a fake smile. 'Though some peace and quiet would be nice.'

"Anyways, my kingdom is so wonderful and so fantastic you could just…" Yuudai's voice faded away as Monica's mind began to wander towards the time she spent with Yoko. She sighed in sadness.

'I wonder how he is.'

"Yoko, sir. We are ready to invade the castle under your command. Whenever you're ready," came a voice.

"I did not asked to be bothered Yomi. You do well to remember that I do not like to be disturbed when thinking," growled a silver haired kitsune, his gold eyes full of coldness that could freeze the underworld if it wished. His black haired, black-eyed companion backed away slowly.

"My apologies Yoko, I did not know," he said with a frown on his face then left his leader alone.

Yoko turned once more back to the lake that he was staring at before. It shone brightly under the moonlight, reminding him of that bright smile that once lit his day. A smile he would never see again. He groaned. 'Monica, why did you die? Maybe I wouldn't have become a bandit if you hadn't died, and maybe Kuronue might have still been alive. Why? Why did you leave me?' he asked silently, watching as the lake glittered under the light as the water moved gently against the wind.

Monica sighed with exhaustion as she lay down on her dark red bed. Yuudai had proven to be a rather talkative person, and annoying too. He made her want to die right there. 'There is no way I'm going to marry him. I can't stand him!' she thought with desperation. 'Mother didn't want this for me. I just know she didn't want this life for me. Then why? Why did I have to come here to this nightmare?'

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a large amount of screaming. She quickly sat up and ran over to the door of her room and carefully opened it a little. Outside the bedroom, servants ran franticly around the castle in fear. Monica frowned, and stepped out of her room, standing on the balcony of the staircase.

Beneath her, she saw hundred of demons, all dressed in white, taking the most precious treasures of her Godfather. But one of them caught her eye in particular. I handsome kitsune stood in the middle of the room, ordering his men to take whatever was valuable. 'He must be the leader,' she noted as she admired his long silver hair. Suddenly, his piercing gaze met hers. Monica could hardly breathe as she looked into those golden orbs staring back at her with curiosity and coldness. 'Why are his eyes so familiar?'

Yoko stared up at the woman observing her. She was a looker that was for sure, wearing a long burgundy gown that matched her eyes. Long maroon hair falling down her back. He smirked at her. Maybe he could persuade her to become his hostage. He chuckled in his head at the thought, but something about her eyes struck him as familiar. He just couldn't shake that familiar feeling off.

He then ordered his men to escape at once. With one last look at the woman, he followed and disappeared into the dark forest.