1. Married to a Stranger

Randu lives in a village that is still very old-fashioned. Suddenly she was awakened from her nap by her father.

"Randu, the head of the neighbor village asked you to be his only son's bride," her father explained straight to the topic. The skinny girl with shoulder-length short hair could only blink her eyes. Trying to focus, and repeating her father's words.

'What did dad say? Son of the neighbor's village head? Why me?'

"Why me?" Randu asked confused.

Her father did not answer, only pain on the girl's cheek in response. She knew this would happen. In this place, women are equal to slaves, whatever men say is absolute, must be obeyed and implemented immediately, there is no room for questioning or refusing.

Her mother came in with a straight face, pulling her up violently. Her mother's name was Rumia, one of the senior servants at the village head's residence. She prepared her nineteen daughter to be worthy of being presented in front of Lord Burdak.

Lord Burdak is a knight, he is famous not only in his village but also here. He is a hero who helped the people around him from outside threats. Last month Lord Burdak killed twenty hunters who entered his village without permission. He's not a man to play with.

Randu dressed in their village traditional clothes. A garment made of tanned animal skin. In the form of a short skirt and a chest covering whose length does not cover her stomach.

Rumia, the most senior servant in the village, spoke to Lord Burdak in a distinctive accent. They were already in the small house reserved for the guest of honor in this village. Lord Burdak nodded, then grabbed something from the table and threw a rectangular object onto the thatched floor, right in front of the servants.

Randu realized that it was several bundles of money when her mother took and thanked the other maids before stepping back leaving Randu who was scared and didn't dare to look at Lord Burdak's face. Especially when Lord Burdak stood up and stepped closer to her in a calm manner that felt as intimidating as his gaze.

"Follow me!" he said coldly. He did not hold the hand of the bride and groom like the usual brides.

Burdak walked briskly towards the backyard of this village. Rogu, the village head, had already walked away---at first Burdak invited Rogu to go with him, but Rogu refused and instead asked Burdak to wait for his future bride, Randu, as a tradition.

It was dark. Their steps were lit only by the flames of small torches along the way. The light emitted is golden yellow.

'How can a wedding ceremony be this tense?' Randu thought to herself. Although her heart was beating very fast, she still followed the fast and long steps of the man in front of her. Her master, her employer, and her future husband. She was indirectly sold by her own parents.

They descended some stairs, which would lead them to the backyard. A large circular courtyard with a large bonfire. There were several men and women there. Randu could even see her mother and a man beside her, maybe it is her father.

Several eyes focused on Randu's figure. Making the girl blush and lower her head. They had already entered the area. She stepped on the thick and wet grass. Beside this courtyard is a black and dark wild forest.

"Welcome, Lord Burdak, we are very honored by your arrival!" said a man. Randu looked up to the source of the voice, it is Rogu the village head?

Lord Burdak stopped walking, and Randu stopped right behind him.

"Elders, this is my friend, Lord Burdak. You must know him. He is a knight as well as a candidate for the leadership of our neighboring village who is also a close friend of mine. He asked me to help him marry the girl of his own choice, who is now standing beside him... She is a girl from our village and we should be grateful. This bond will also strengthen friendly relations between the two villages."

As the village head spoke, whispers were heard among the people present.

'Do they mind? Can they save me? I didn't see Lord Burdak's face at all, I only knew he is very tall and big. He is a knight, so it is certain that his face is full of the typical scars that marked a knight. One more thing I know, he must be very old to have that title. Becoming a knight takes decades of training and carrying out missions.'

There are so many questions that popped up in Randu's mind, but she suppressed them all. Because whatever the reason and the anxiety, it will not be able to get her out of this position.

"She is the choice of Lord Burdak. Respect his decision, you have no right to judge her, you are just doing your duty, lead this ritual well!" The village chief's last sentence sounded like a shriek, making those around him lower their heads and nod in agreement. He was like a person to be feared in this place.

There is an old man, walking towards Randu and Burdak stood up. He carried a tray with several items. There is a bowl filled with liquid and a piece of cloth.

The surroundings are very quiet, still, and it is as if their movements are being watched by whatever is in the forest. Randu felt the hairs on her neck stand up, she could also feel the cold and stinging night wind.

"I am Rohu, the elder of this village," said the man when he arrived in front of Lord Burdak and Randu.

Randu could see Lord Burdak nodding. Randu is silent watching what happened. This is the first time she had seen this kind of thing.

The man named Rohu looked at Burdak again and nodded. He then read something in a language that Randu did not understand.

Other people looked down and closed their eyes, Randu did the same.

'What will happen to me after this?!'

Her little heart kept spitting out a few sentences that made her even more scared. When she opened her eyes, she saw Lord Burdak drinking water from the bowl, after which he gave it to Randu.

"Drink this..." said Burdak quickly. He didn't even look at Randu when he handed over the bowl.

With shaking hands, Randu took the bowl from Lord Burdak and drank it.

She could smell some plants, leaves she didn't recognize maybe? As she drank the water, she felt a warm feeling in her throat, a calming sensation running through her body. She felt relaxed and comfortable.

She is still mesmerized by the sensation, it is incredibly comfortable.

Randu seemed to wake up from her daydream when Lord Burdak held her shoulders. Randu blinked a few times, she is confused by what the man in front of her is doing.

Burdak looked at her flatly. The handsome man had a stern and cold face, there are some scars on his face, even though it is like that, he exuded an extraordinary charm. Only a madwoman escapes his charm.

What happened next is very fast---faster than seconds. Randu woke up when she felt a sharp pain on her lips. Lord Burdak gave her a kiss with a few bites. This is Randu's first time being touched by a man.

'What happened?'

Then she saw Lord Burdak take a cloth from the tray to wipe her bloody lips.

'Is it true what I see? Did Lord Burdak bite my lip? Is he a vampire? Is this a ritual from his village?'

Randu then heard a loud noise, a cheer from the people around her. Some of them shouted 'congratulations'.

"Now you are a couple, life and death," said Rohu. Then he turned and walked to another place.

Randu is still frozen, still feeling the pain on her lips. Lord Burdak is still silent and is already facing the crowd in front of them.

Randu could only hold a question in her mind.

'What did he do to me? Why did he marry me like this?'