Valley of Shadows and Roses | ONC 2024

Chapter 25

Fifty years had passed since the Shadow Lord cast that curse on Luna when he whispered those words in her ear: "I'll wait for you, even if it takes forever." All these years, she was chained to her home castle like a bird in a golden cage. Except that the gold had long since disappeared from there. She could have tried harder, but the bars would not release their grip. They kept her firmly imprisoned. And Luna refused to give up in exchange for freedom. Even the Shadow Lord didn't give up. However, it must be admitted that he held all the aces. They were both stubborn as hell.

Luna gradually gave up her chances of escape. If there were a way out, she would have found it by now. It was just a waste of time.

And after some time, she even found peace. Her heart was calm. Living day by day. Enjoying the beautiful singing of the birds. Warm rays of the sun caressing her skin. Watching as the seasons change. Dancing in the rain. Thunders echoing through the corridors of the castle. Catching snowflakes on her tongue. So cold and beautiful at the same time.

And the roses always bloomed. For her. Only for her.

Luna was walking through the Dark forest, of which only the burnt tree limbs were left, rising to the sky. Greenery replaced the ash covering the ground. The wind blew the meadow flowers there. They covered the Dark forest in colors – purple, pink, yellow, red. The tall grass swayed soothingly in the breeze. It was a wonderful contrast between the living and the dead.

Sometimes she wondered if the shadows had really left or if they were just avoiding her. It would seem that they also disappeared with the forest. While they usually followed you on every step, now they were gone. Luna was left all alone. If this was the Shadow Lord's plan to deprive her of her sanity, he was doing a great job. But at the same time she liked to be alone. Sometimes it was killing her and sometimes it was saving her.

Men on horses galloped through the dead forest. Luna was surprised to see living people because even after all that time, people were afraid to set foot in there. People avoided the Valley of Roses by far. She had heard the stories that were being told in the surrounding kingdoms about the Valley of Roses. A cursed kingdom where everyone who steps foot in dies. Shadows that slaughtered the entire royal court. Ghosts roaming the scorched landscape.

The crowd stopped near Luna. It was led by a young man on a white stallion. A friendly smile graced his face. His brown hair fell into his beautiful, dark brown eyes. They reminded her of eyes she already knew. There was alluring darkness in them.

I should stop thinking about him all the time; Luna scolded herself.

"Miss, you shouldn't be here," said the unknown man. "It's too dangerous. Especially for such a lonely beauty like you."

Luna gave him a short laugh. "Sir, I fear that you and your companions are in greater danger than I am. If you're afraid of shadows, you shouldn't come here," she said.

"I apologize, I just didn't expect to find anyone in these desolate parts of the country," said the unknown man.

"I'm home here," Luna replied.

"You are Princess Luna?" the young man asked in surprise.

"Queen Luna." she said with sour taste on her tongue.

"I heard about you," said the young man with a sparkle in his eye. "I thought they were just bedtime stories told to children to scare them."

Luna became a myth. A princess cursed by a dark prince. In the years since the kingdom of Rose Valley fell, no one knew if the stories circulating about it were real or just a wild fantasy. And no one dared to find out.

"Sir, you should learn that there is always a grain of truth in every story," said Luna. "And who are you?" she asked the unknown young man. "Where are you coming from?"