Love & Fangs: Ensnared By Adversaries

LIANNA

"Wait, how? How did they invade our lands?" I heard my father shout as he walked down the hallway, while the servants scurried around practically in panic.

"It's as clear as day, sir... the Black clan wants to make all of us their slaves," one of my father's subordinates spoke, his tone laden with anguish.

"They want to enslave who?" I thought to myself, my blood already starting to boil within my body.

"There has to be a way to reverse this," my father seemed to rise from his chair at that moment, and I could hear his footsteps pacing back and forth. "There has to be a way to at least... make them see us as allies, not slaves," he continued pacing as he spoke, until he stopped with a sigh, "I... I didn't want to do this..."

He spoke before sitting back down in his chair, and when I looked through the small gap between the doors, I could see his hands entwining with his white hair, his expression contorting with desperation.

"I... I think I'll have to offer my youngest daughter to get them to agree to some kind of deal." My father started rubbing his face with his hands, clear remorse in his demeanor.

This made me burst through those doors with all I had, my eyes glaring at my father with pure hatred in my heart. He couldn't just give my sister away to the enemy. Not when it was my Emmy who would be taken, and even less, as he took the only part of my mother that remained, away from me.

My sister, Emily, was not just my sibling; she was my confidante, my closest friend, and the one who had been there for me when no one else was. I couldn't bear the thought of losing her, especially not in such a cruel manner.

"YOU WON'T SACRIFICE EMMY!" I spoke immediately, my heart starting to race with the anger that was spreading within me. "YOU DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT! NOT WITH HER!"

"AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO WITH THE ISLAND'S AFFAIRS! DON'T INTERFERE!" My father started yelling back, his hands pounding on the table.

"I WILL INTERFERE! I WON'T LET YOU HAND MY SISTER OVER LIKE THIS!" I retorted, only for him to stand up and start huffing.

"GUARDS! LOCK LIANNA IN HER OWN ROOM! AND WATCH HER!" He ordered, and as soon as it was said, two men came towards me, beginning to take me out of the room.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" I vociferated as I struggled, trying to free myself from those brutes.

"Eventually, you'll understand what I'm doing. IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!" My father spoke before those doors were closed in front of my eyes, and resentment filled me in that moment. I didn't know how he could do that with Emily, and even less, how he had decided that so easily. Had his heart been lost in his despair? Didn't his daughter matter as much compared to his people?

This had to be a joke...

But anyway, when I realized it, I was being thrown into my room, and the two idiots who had brought me there promptly took their positions guarding the door.

How fun, I was angry, locked up, and on top of that... powerless.

So much so that I started to think of ways to escape, but clearly... it was all futile.

I couldn't jump from my window without breaking a leg, and I didn't have enough sturdy things in my room to make a rope to climb down from the balcony.

"Anna?" A familiar voice could be heard after a while in that private prison, and when I looked, it was Lian.

Who again, was climbing up like a spider along my house, using those things that usually held flowers and some plants.

"What have I told you about climbing up there?" I immediately said, wanting to hit him for risking himself like that several times.

"I know, I know. But there were guards in front of your door!" He quickly said, causing me to help him get inside through the balcony before anyone saw him.

"If that's the case, can't you help me get out too? I have to save my sister!" I spoke determinedly, hoping to convince him to assist me. "I can't let this happen, I have to go there! They must have already sent a letter discussing the agreement to those bastards!"

"And do you really want me to help you with this suicide mission?" Lian looked at me in astonishment, as if he were asking with his gaze what kind of person I thought he was.

"I'll be fine, but Emily, on the other hand... she wouldn't survive at all!" I tried to argue. "And you know how I am, before anyone can touch me, I'll kill the bastard!"

Lian seemed reluctant about whether he should help me or not, to the point of looking away and starting to scratch his own head out of nervousness.

"Fine..." he sighed, "but please, stay alive."

I hugged him tightly with the excitement that filled me, even jumping with joy.

"I don't even know how to thank you..." I murmured while being close to him, and with that, the plan was set in motion.

Lian managed to leave again without being noticed, and brought me a rope so that I could tie it to the balcony, allowing me to escape.

We eventually made it to the ship, which was completely black and even resembled descriptions of ghost ships from children's books.

"Lian, you're my savior," I said to him. "I will come back alive, I promise."

"I believe you," Lian responded, his eyes reflecting both concern and determination.

"Look what we have here..." one of the men guarding the ship said with a malicious smile as I approached. "Are you lost, sweetie?"

"Of course she is, want some help?" Another one approached, trying to put his hand on my waist, which led me to slap him across the face, purely due to his audacity.

"Oh, not only pretty, but feisty too!" The one who received the gift of my five fingers on his face said with laughter. "We have a special kind of treatment for women like this..." he raised his hand towards me, and when I thought I would be hit, his hand was grabbed by someone.

A man who had hair as black as night and eyes as blue as freshly cut sapphires, as well as pale skin that was visible even on his well-built chest, with broad, strong shoulders that were slightly covered by his dark locks and, of course... a face that looked as if it had been sculpted.

It was this man... who was standing in front of me.