"We are here, Miss Luxanna," a member of the royal guard informed, as he opened the door to the horse-drawn carriage. I hugged the towel closely to my body as I stepped out and toward the palace, looming menacingly before me. I did not want to think about what was to come.

"Your father is awaiting for you in the throne room, your majesty," a soldier informed me. "Good luck."

"Thank you, kind sir," I responded, maneuvering my way toward the entrance. The air was warm, yet anything but welcoming. I clutched the blanket tightly as I saw my father, King Crownguard tapping his foot impatiently, seated in his throne.

The soldier that found me in the lake quickly approached my father, kneeling before him.

"Your majesty," he greeted. "If I could point out that the squadron I lead in search of your daughter was the one that managed to locate her, and I was wondering-"

"Another time, please," my father interrupted, holding an open palm in the air. "I would like you to give me some time with my daughter."

"Of course, your highness," the guard nodded, hurriedly moving toward the exit of the throne room, hissing moderately audible curses at his lousy luck. I smirked, trying to stifle a giggle.

Once I heard the door slam behind me, I knew my fate was sealed.

"What exactly were you doing out of the castle during the evening time," he asked. "You were supposed to host the ball with Jarvan at your side, who I will have you know was extremely disappointed of your absence."

I snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Answer the question, Luxanna Crownguard," he continued, his voice rising to a dangerous volume.

"I just wanted to leave," I replied honestly. "The party was too loud and bright and annoying, and I feel uncomfortable around Jarvan."

"It is not up to you whether or not you can leave the premises at any time of your choosing," he instructed. "You are not to leave the castle walls unless you are accompanied by either Jarvan, your brother, or a squadron of my royal guard, is that clear, young lady?"

"Yes," I responded. "Crystal."

"A member of the royal guard informed me that you were accompanied by another man," my father said. "Is this statement true?"

Shit. The soldiers from earlier must have told him about Ezreal. What to do. Holy crap. I messed up. Again.

"N-no," I replied, looking away from my father. "I wasn't with anyone."

"That's not for you to confirm," he cut back quickly. Snapping his fingers in the air, he ordered the leader of the original royal guard to enter the throne room. Oh crap. The soldier who was chasing me and Ezreal earlier entered the room, looking disheveled from all of the running he probably had to do earlier.

"Greetings, your highness," the guard smiled fakely, kneeling before King Crownguard like the good, obedient soldier he wa.s. He glared at me, frowning with the utmost displeasure.

"Hello, my trusted soldier," my father reciprocated. "My daughter denies your claim that she was accompanied by another man."

"Oh, she most definitely was with someone else," the soldier informed, providing the most detailed description of him possible. "He was tall, quite scruffy, I suppose, a head of bright blonde hair, wasn't wearing especially lavish clothing. I couldn't really catch anything else, your highness."

"Thank you, my trustworthy servant," my father nodded. "You may leave."

The guard nodded, as he shot another cold stare back at me before disappearing out of the door.

"And you believe him?!" I exclaimed. "I was not with anyone! I was wandering around the city alone."

"Luxanna, you are engaged to Prince Jarvan IV of the Lightshield family," my father explained slowly, as if it took time for me to process information, as if I was not already aware. "You are to marry him as soon as possible. You will not interact with other men, especially at this late of an hour and without my permission, is that understood?"

"Not really sure why I have to understand that someone else must control my life," I murmured to myself.

"Is that understood," King Crownguard repeated, almost bellowing now.

"Yes," I replied. "I understand."

"You are not to interact with anyone outside of the royal family unless I instruct you to do so," he continued. "You are not allowed to roam outside of the palace until after the wedding. You will be accompanied by someone of the royal guard, me, your brother, Jarvan, or a chambermaid at all times while you are transporting yourself through the castle. You will obey my orders, Luxanna, is that clear?"

"Yes," I responded. "It is clear."

"I am extremely disappointed in you, Luxanna," he resumed.

"I am sorry," I apologized, looking down at my feet. I meant it. I felt absolutely horrible about what I did. I shouldn't have done it. Or should I have done it? I don't even know anymore. I can't even tell the difference between right and wrong on my own.

"I am glad we cleared that up," King Crownguard said. "You are now dismissed. Jarvan is waiting to speak to you in your bedroom."

My stomach sommersaulted. No. Anything but that.

"I actually feel very weak right now, father," I begged. "I do not feel as if I can speak to him right now. Can this matter wait until morning?"

"No," King Crownguard responded curtly. "You are to meet with him now."

"May I be accompanied by a member of the royal guard?" I requested, my last beacon of hope, my last life ring.

"No," my father replied, crushing my offer. "He asked to speak to you alone. Please go to your bedroom."

"Okay," I obeyed meekly, strolling toward the staircase that lead to the resting chambers.

I tried to walk as slowly as I possible could before my stride was interrupted by my father.

"Quickly, please," he instructed. I did as I was told. I walked brusquely upstairs and ambled down the sleekly designed Demacian hallway. My breathing became more erratic as I approached my door. We were now only separated by a threshold. Me and my.. future husband, as my father likes to refer to him as. One turn of the door handle, one breath, one blink of the eye.

I rested my numb palm over the knob that lead to my bedroom. I inhaled deeply, squeezed my eye clothes, and turned, trying not to think about what waited beyond it. There my knight in shining armor stood, pacing back and forth by my bed. A chambermaid sat nearby, crocheting a doily of some sort. I could not really see out of the corner of my eye.

"Where have you been, Luxanna," he hissed in a voice as cold as ice. He barely even bothered to make eye contact with me. He was resting his hand on one of my bedposts, eyes on the floor. And he used my full name, which just made the entire situation so much worse.

"Out," I answered simplistically, removing the handbag that was strapped over my chest and laid it out on my vanity, quickly taking out the contents.

"Yes, that is quite apparent," Jarvan shot back like fire. "I am asking for your exact location."

"J-just in the Demacian marketplace," I replied, shaken by how dangerous he sounded.

"Were you with anyone?" he asked, stepping closer toward me. I tensed up, feeling the heat of his body advancing against mine.

"That's none of your business," I responded, shrugging off my cloak and draping it over a nearby chair.

"Of course it is my business," he replied. The way he sounded reminded me of the way thunder would rumble during a lightning storm. Dark, ominous, and foreboding. "Tell me now."

"Yes, I was," I said honestly. Why was I submitting to him so easily? Why was I telling the truth to this monster? Why was I even bothering to exchange conversation with him?

"Who was it?" he inquired brusquely. "Was it a man?"

My eyes began to well up. "Please stop talking to me."

"I am asking you a question," he replied, suddenly placing his rough, calloused hands on my bare shoulders. I shivered. Ignoring him, I quickly walked into my closet to pick out my sleeping outfit. My fingers trembled as I rummaged through my racks of luxurious clothing. I selected a tight, golden dress. It was silky, smooth, and soft, hugging my small frame. Although it was form-fitting, it was somewhat comfortable to rest in. I closed the door to my closet and removed my blouse and trousers from my outing. Folding them and placing them into my laundry hamper, I carefully slid on a new set of panties. I unclasped my worn out bra and threw it wherever, slipping on a new white lace one with silvery trim. The servant girl will take care of it. Wriggling on the tight, gold lingerie, I stepped out into my bedroom, walking past Jarvan and to my bedside table, pretending as if he wasn't there. My tactic was to ignore him until he capitulated and left. He eventually would, after all. Surely.

His eyes widened once he saw me appear in the somewhat suggestive piece. I gathered my golden locks into one hand and pushed it to the left side of my neck.

"So, was it a man?" Jarvan demanded, his voice escalating in intensity.

"I am not particularly sure," I responded, removing a magazine from my nightstand and flipping through it slowly, as if i was completely mesmerized by its contents.

"Do you not remember?" Jarvan asked. "What did he look like? Was he tall? Is he a commander of Demacia's greatest army? Why were you with him?"

"I do not recall," I said simplistically once more.

Jarvan became even more impatient. "How can you not remember what someone looks like directly after being with them?" Oh, right. I almost forgot. Jarvan was persistent.

"I am not sure, exactly," I countered nonchalantly.

"ANSWER ME NOW!" Jarvan bellowed. The chambermaid, who was eyeing our exchange carefully, jumped at the outburst.

My breathing increased in its intensity, I gasped as Jarvan took me by the arms and slammed me violently against the nearest wall. Several books on a nearby shelf fell to the ground, and my lamp quivered on its nightstand. Pushing my hair out of my face, I swallowed the dry lump in my throat and looked at Jarvan square in the eye. I wasn't going to budge.

"I refuse to answer you!" I yelled back. I continued holding his stare, glaring back at him, my cerulean blue eyes meeting his tawny brown ones.

"You WILL obey me!" he replied. "You will do EXACTLY as I say!" His hand was now resting hazardously on my smooth, creamy thigh. I yelped like a helpless puppy as it slid upward, over the curve of my hips to the inward concave of my waist and onto my back.

"Stop it.." I blushed, trying to move out of his control. But he was completely above me, locking me in with his superior frame. "Please stop this now."

"I will stop once you answer me," he stated sternly, another hand gliding over my stomach and the other pressed against my sultry hips. I covered my mouth with my hand, looking over to the chambermaid for assistance. Someone help, anyone! Please. My heart sunk to the floor as she pretended not to know what was going on by continuing her knitting project.

I gasped as Jarvan's hands proceeded to run up and down my body, pausing to stop at the dunes that were my breasts.

"Don't," I begged, biting my lips, looking at him with his eyes. He wouldn't. He can't.

Jarvan ignored my requests, and proceeded to undo the straps of my dress.

"DON'T!" I screamed, pushing him backward with all of my strength. He looked shocked, almost humiliated that a young, frail maiden like me managed to push back a towering military commander like himself.

"Don't," I repeated. "Touch me." I folded my arms protectively over my chest, looking into another direction. Just not his eyes.

"Why were you with another man," he said. It wasn't a question. It was a demand. "Do you understand how bad this makes your father look? How bad it makes you look? How bad it makes ME look?"

"Yes, because everything is about how something or someone looks, right?" I snapped back.

"DON'T change the subject!" he shouted once more. The chambermaid jumped at his voice, her shoulder quivering and her breath quickening. You could tell that she was scared of him too.

I breathed in once more. "DON'T tell me what to do," I warned dangerously.

"Who do you think you are?" Jarvan protested, whirling around at my statement. "Do you realize how much the Lightshields are doing for the Crownguards by going through with this marriage? Tons. More than your little brain could possibly keep track of."

I snorted. "Don't make me laugh."

"DON'T make me hurt you," he countered sharply.

"If you lay your hands on me again," I threatened. "I will tell my father. Let's see how stable this so-called marriage will be after that."

"You think he doesn't know?" he cackled meanly, pushing me back into the curtains. I stumbled, but managed to regain my balance. "He sees everything. How I touch you. How I treat you. He's turning a blind eye so that his kingdom won't fall into crumbles without the defense of the Lightshield family. I thought you were brighter than that, Luxanna."

My lips began to quiver. I won't cry. I couldn't cry. I refused to break down in front of him.

"So what are you in this for?" I questioned, defying him by maintaining his gaze. I wasn't backing down just yet. Not without a fight.

"What am I in this for?" he laughed, entertaining the notion. "What an interesting question, princess. I want stability. I want control. After all, the Crownguards are just another chess piece for the Lightshields once this marriage gets over and done with. As for you.." He stepped behind me and wrapped a muscled arm over my neck. "I want someone to make love with once I get tired and stressed. Someone to relieve the pains and agonies of the battlefield. A woman to keep me satisfied, to make other men jealous."

"A trophy," I accused.

"Somewhat," he replied simplistically. I froze at how shamelessly he mentioned the topic. "A prize, the woman of every man's dreams, but they can't have her because belongs to me."

I elbowed him in the abdomen and wriggled free of his grasp. "I belong to no one. Don't refer to me as if I am an object."

"But you already belong to me," Jarvan objected, beginning to smirk. He stepped toward me once more. "You'll come around some day, Luxanna," he whispered into my ear, his breath slightly tickling my neck. "One day you will be mine. And one day you are going to have to accept that."

"Not if I can help it," I played along, turning around and tracing a finger over his jawline. "What if my heart belongs to someone else?"

"Hmmm," he mused seductively. "Then I guess I will just have to steal you away from them."

"Mmmm," I entertained. "That will be quite the job." I pretended to moan as he placed his hands over my hips, sinking his teeth into the softest crook of my neck. As he proceeded to move his hands up toward my chest and cupped my breast, I immediately broke away and spun around.

"You're disgusting," I spat. "As if I will ever let you make love to me. As if I will ever give my heart to you. Don't you dare even entertain the thought."

He responded with a roar, grabbing the lamp from my nightstand and throwing it violently onto the floor.

"YOU WILL OBEY ME!" he bellowed. "WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT."

I watched in horror as he terrorized my bedroom, knocking over the bookshelf and stomping on the novels, ripping the curtains to shreds. He stormed into my closet, tearing every single piece of clothing off its rack, and slamming shelves of vases and glass decorations onto the ground. And I could only stand and watch.

Once he was finished throwing his temper tantrum, he strided easily toward me. I could only back up into the wall in fear, eyes widened with shock.

"I am your fiance," he breathed, his voice deadly. "Don't you forget it."

"And what a lovely one at that," I whispered back weakly. I still wasn't finished yet. He slapped me harshly across the face. I placed my hand over my cheek, feeling the burn mark under my palms, my breath quickening as I felt how hot it was. Jarvan stared at me, expecting me to break down into tears. The chambermaid was now huddled in the corner of the room, clutching her patchwork in her delicate fingers for dear life. He promptly left my bedchamber after I made no response, violently slamming the door. I did not move until the sound of his angry footsteps quieted down into silence.

Tears naturally flowed from my eyes to the bottom of my face. I sank slowly to the ground, lips quivering, shoulders shaking, my entire body quaking with emotional distress.

"Oh, Lady Luxanna!" the servant girl cried, rushing to my assistance. She removed a handkerchief from her pocket and dried my tears. I couldn't look at her. She was the one who stood and watched as Jarvan molested me. She didn't even try to intervene as he tore my bedroom into shreds. And worst of all, she just stood by and observed as he hit me. I was in disgust.

"Don't," I said as she tried to comfort me with her words and actions. They were all futile attempts to make up for not helping out earlier. I stood up and walked over the chaotic mess that was now my room. "Please clean this up. I will be in the shower."

She nodded rigorously. "Yes, your majesty," she responded. I nodded in response, and entered my bathroom, a luxurious hall decorated to the nines. The bathtub was like its usual self, golden and encrusted with jewels of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The tiles underneath my feet felt smooth and cold. The Demacian nightlife was now quiet. It was tired. Very much like me, of course. I unzipped the tight gold dress and peeled off my stockings. I kicked off my high heels and removed all of the jewelry, throwing it onto the ground. The maid will clean up after me. It felt good to just be in my skin. No tight corset or fancy ballgown or flashy dress. I filled the bathtub with water, at a warm, comfortable temperature. Tossing in several handfuls of bath salts and smelly aromas and scents, I stepped in, relaxing my body as the water enveloped my frame. I looked at the chandelier suspended from the ceiling, inhaling and exhaling. Breathing in and out.

I hated Jarvan. I hated him with every single fiber of my being. I just wanted him to leave, to disappear, to vanish, to be away. Why was he always here. My skin was bruised from his harsh gripping and pushing and touching from earlier. The area on my face which he slapped still burned like a fire. I looked out the window, at the millions of shining stars glistening in the night sky. I wondered if Ezreal was looking at the same night sky right now. I just had to see him again. Even if it killed me to do it. I left the bath after an hour or so. I was surprised to see my bedroom was restored to its original appearance. The curtains were replaced, the books were reshelved, and the clothes were rehung. Vases, glass decorations, and lamps were all repaired and placed back into their original location. Typical Demacian servant life. Always so punctual. I shrugged on a loose nightgown, relishing in the comfort and quiet of solitude. This will probably be one of my last few nights before I have to share a bed with Jarvan. I shut off the lights and climbed into bed, peering out at the moon that shone over my body. I missed him. I missed him so much. Clutching a pillow close to my chest, I managed to cry myself to sleep, a writhing pain beginning to twist unbearably in my heart.