Maligned
- Reads 7,308
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- Parts 41
Ongoing10h 8m
Last published Fri, Jan 2, 2026
1866, England
They called her The Nightingale, for her eyes were as dark as midnight, and wherever she went, you would hear her song. A song of pure terror, ignited by the fire of her pistol. An assassin, an instrument without a thought of her own, was what they intended her to become.
But everything changed once she walked past the threshold of the Palace of Daínn, where no human dared to venture after night fell.
--
He went by many names, but she only knew one-- Icarus. A creature of insurmountable power, who ruled England from within the shadows with an iron fist, who even the highest ranking ministers bowed down to.
She was told to fear him, that no mortal could subdue the coldness in his unbeating heart. That he was a bloodthirsty beast, a maligned tyrant, a demon.
But unbeknownst to her, he has been waiting for the past three-hundred years, patiently awaiting for her return.
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A Thousand year old Forest guardian has loved only one human woman but can never have her. She often slips away from him through death and there was nothing he could do to save her. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, she was finally reborn again, but this lifetime is the last one she could have. She has exalted all her chances of reincarnation and should she die this time, she would stop existing. Knowing this and that his presence is the only threat she has, can he bear to lose her forever? Also, after waiting for her to reincarnate all these years, can he bear to stay away knowing she is within arm's reach? *** Mariah never thought that one day her perfect life wouldn't be so perfect anymore. Who would have expected that her father, the King's special adviser, would one day be accused of trying to kill the king and take his place? But even though no one thought that, it happened and her family became the king and kingdom's most hated enemy. Banished out of the kingdom till a befitting punishment is decided on, Mariah and her family had to move to the little house outside the kingdom and close to the forest which frightening stories had been told about. Mariah thought that things can never be worse but it all changed when she started receiving uninvited strange guests.
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