Notes

Chapter 1: Childhood in Chains

At the age of 3 Selara's earliest memories were filled with confusion and sorrow. Her mother, a maid in the noble House of Grimm, was the only person she knew. But even her mother was a source of pain. One evening, as Selara sat quietly in a corner of the servants' quarters, her mother, worn and weary, looked at her with cold eyes. "You shouldn't have been born," she said, her voice devoid of warmth. Selara felt a lump in her throat and tears welled up in her eyes, but she couldn't speak. She just cried silently, feeling the weight of her mother's words crush her tiny heart.

At the age of 5 The Grimms discovered Selara's existence and brought her into the main household. From that moment, her life became a series of torments. Lord Alaric Grimm, her father, regarded her with disdain, a constant reminder of his indiscretion. Her brothers, particularly the eldest, Leth, saw her as a toy to be broken.

Leth would often lock her in dark, cramped spaces for hours, leaving her hungry and scared. Her other brothers, Marcus and Cedric, took turns hitting her, often forcing her to hold heavy objects for hours as punishment for the slightest mistakes.
At the age of 7 Selara began to develop a habit of punishing herself. Whenever she made a mistake, she would scratch or cut herself, believing that the pain she inflicted was a way to preempt the harsher punishments from her brothers. It became a twisted ritual, a way to exert some control over her suffering.

One evening, after accidentally spilling a drink while serving her brothers, Selara locked herself in a small closet and began scratching her arms. The physical pain was intense, but it was a relief compared to the beatings she knew would follow. This self-inflicted punishment became a dark comfort to her, a means to cope with the relentless abuse.
By the time she turned ten, Selara had learned that crying only brought more pain. She retreated into herself, becoming a lifeless doll that barely responded to the outside world. Her once bright red eyes dulled with each passing day, and her spirit seemed irreparably broken.

One day, Leth decided to test how much she could endure. He tied her up and whipped her repeatedly, taunting her to cry out or beg for mercy. Selara remained silent, her face a blank mask. Her silence only fueled his rage, but he eventually grew bored and left her there, bleeding and alone.


At the age of 12: Despite her despair, there were moments when Selara dreamed of escaping her torment. She would stare out the window, imagining a life free from pain and fear. One night, she gathered her courage and tried to run away. She sneaked out of her room and crept through the silent halls, her heart pounding with hope and fear. Her only comfort during these dark times was her cat, a small creature that offered her the only semblance of companionship and solace.

Just as she reached the estate's outer gate, a rough hand grabbed her shoulder. It was Leth. "Where do you think you are going, my little bunny?" he asked with a chilling smile. Dragging her back to the house, he added, "I think you should be disciplined more." He took her to her room and locked the door. Moments later, he returned with Selara's beloved cat. Without a word, he mutilated the poor animal in front of her, the blood splattering onto her face. "This is what happens when you disobey," he said calmly, leaving her with the mangled remains of her only friend.
At the age of 14: Selara made another attempt to change her fate. She tried to seek help from the servants, hoping that someone might have compassion for her plight. She whispered her story to an older maid, begging for assistance. The maid, fearful of the Grimms' wrath, reported her to Leth instead.

Leth confronted her in front of the entire household, making a spectacle of her betrayal. "You thought you could turn the servants against us?" he roared. He beat her savagely, ensuring that every member of the household knew the price of defiance. Selara's hope was shattered, and she sank deeper into her shell of silence and pain.
At the age of 16 On her sixteenth birthday, Selara's fate was sealed when her father announced her engagement to Lord Cedric Drakon. The marriage was a strategic move to settle debts and form an uneasy alliance with the rival House of Drakon. For Selara, it was the end of one nightmare and the beginning of another.

Chapter 2: Sold into Misery
Age 16: As soon as she came of age, Selara was sold off to the prestigious but rival House of Drakon. The marriage was a strategic move to settle debts and form an uneasy alliance. However, the Drakon family harbored a deep hatred for the Grimms and took out their resentment on Selara. Her husband, Lord Cedric Drakon, was a cruel man who delighted in continuing the cycle of abuse.

A Plea for Understanding: On her first night in the Drakon household, Selara gathered her courage and approached Cedric, her new husband. She knelt before him, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and cautious hope. "My lord," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I am not like my family. Please, give me a chance to prove myself. I do not wish to cause any harm."
Cedric stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a sneer, he grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to look into his cold, unyielding eyes. "You think you can fool me with your pitiful act? You're nothing but a spy, sent by the Grimms to undermine my family. I won't be deceived by your lies," he hissed, shoving her away. Selara fell to the floor, her heart sinking as the last flicker of hope was extinguished.

A Cold Reception: The rest of the Drakon family shared Cedric's distrust and disdain for Selara. From the moment she arrived, she was treated as an outsider, a pawn in their ongoing feud with the Grimms. The servants whispered behind her back, calling her a traitor and a deceiver. The matriarch of the family, Lady Eveline Drakon, made it clear that Selara was not welcome.
"Stay out of our way, and maybe we won't make your life more miserable than it already is," Lady Eveline warned, her voice dripping with venom. The other members of the household followed suit, treating Selara with a mixture of hostility and indifference.

Despite her efforts to prove her sincerity, every gesture was met with suspicion. When she tried to help with household tasks, her actions were scrutinized and criticized. If something went wrong, she was blamed, regardless of her involvement. The few belongings she brought with her were often tampered with or stolen, leaving her with even less than she started with.

Isolation and Despair: Selara's days in the Drakon household were marked by loneliness and despair. She spent most of her time confined to a small, barren room, far from the main quarters. The room's cold, damp walls seemed to close in on her, a physical manifestation of her isolation. The only time she saw the light of day was when she was summoned to perform menial tasks or to be humiliated in front of the family.
One particularly cruel evening, the Drakons hosted a grand banquet. Selara was forced to attend but was made to wear an ill-fitting, plain dress that stood out starkly against the opulent attire of the other guests. As she moved among the crowd, she could feel their eyes on her, filled with curiosity and disdain. Whispers followed her every step, each word a dagger to her already shattered heart.

"Isn't that the Grimm girl? What a disgrace."

"I heard she's a spy. No wonder they keep her like that."

With every passing day, Selara's spirit withered further. She stopped trying to reach out, stopped hoping for kindness. The habit of punishing herself for perceived mistakes grew worse, the pain becoming her only constant companion. In the House of Drakon, she was truly alone, her existence reduced to a shadow of suffering.


Chapter 3: Fleeing into Darkness
Age 20: After years of relentless torment, Selara found herself being transported in a carriage by the Drakon family, heading to a distant banquet. She sat quietly, her eyes vacant, as the carriage jostled along the rough road. She had no thoughts of escape, only a numb acceptance of her fate.

The Ambush: As the carriage traveled through a dense forest, it was suddenly ambushed by a group of bandits. The horses reared and neighed, and chaos ensued. The guards fought back, but Selara, driven purely by instinct, slipped out of the carriage amidst the confusion and ran into the forest, her heart pounding with fear and desperation. She had no plan, only a frantic need to get away from the immediate danger.
The Forest of Despair: The forest was cold and unforgiving, but to Selara, it felt like a sanctuary. She wandered aimlessly, her feet bloodied and her body exhausted. The trees loomed like dark sentinels, and the ground was uneven and treacherous. She had no hope, no dreams of freedom—only the raw, animalistic drive to survive.

Days in Darkness: Selara survived by scavenging what little food she could find and drinking from muddy streams. Her once beautiful appearance had long since faded. Her body was emaciated, her hair a tangled mess. The cold nights and relentless hunger took their toll, but she was free from the immediate threat of her abusers.
The Wolf Attack: One night, as she lay shivering beneath a tree, Selara heard the low growls of wolves. A pack had caught her scent and was closing in. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing a sturdy branch to defend herself. The wolves circled, their eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Fight for Survival: The first wolf lunged at her, and Selara swung the branch with all her might. The blow landed, and the wolf yelped in pain, retreating. But another wolf pounced, its teeth sinking into her arm. She screamed and fought back, managing to kill two wolves before the rest retreated, their snarls echoing in the night. The attack left her with deep, painful wounds, especially on her face.
The Horrifying Transformation: Left alone and injured in the forest, Selara's wounds festered. Desperate to survive, she found a needle in her clothes and used it to sew her torn skin. With no knowledge of proper technique, her attempts at stitching herself were crude and painful.

Sewing the Wounds: Her hands trembled as she pushed the needle through her skin, pulling the thread tight. Each stitch was a torment, the needle piercing her flesh with a sharp, burning pain. She bit down on her lip to stifle her cries, her body shaking with the effort. The stitches were uneven and haphazard, leaving her face and body covered in grotesque scars. The pain was almost unbearable, but it was the only way she knew to keep herself from bleeding to death.
A New Skillset: Selara's time in the forest transformed her. She became skilled at tracking and hunting, her instincts sharpened by necessity. She moved silently through the underbrush, her senses heightened by the constant need to avoid predators and find food.

A Hunter's Instinct: One day, while tracking a deer, Selara realized how much she had changed. She moved with a grace and confidence she had never known, her mind focused on the hunt. The forest had made her strong, but it had also isolated her from the world. She was no longer the helpless girl from the Grimm household; she was a hunter, a survivor.
The Lingering Fear: Despite her newfound skills, Selara could not escape the fear that haunted her. The memories of her brother Leth and the Drakon family loomed large in her mind. Every shadow in the forest seemed to hide their faces, every rustle of leaves sounded like their footsteps.

Haunted by the Past: At night, Selara's dreams were filled with nightmares. She would wake in a cold sweat, the image of Leth's cruel smile etched into her mind. She knew she could never truly be free as long as she carried the weight of her past. She longed to forget, to leave behind the horrors she had endured, but they clung to her like a shadow.
A Hunter's Resolve: Selara decided that the only way to truly escape was to keep moving forward. She embraced her role as a hunter, taking solace in the simple, brutal honesty of the hunt. The forest, with its dangers and challenges, became her refuge.

Living with Fear: Selara learned to live with her fear, using it to sharpen her senses and keep her alert. She knew that she could never let her guard down, that the world was filled with dangers both seen and unseen. But she also knew that she was stronger than she had ever been. The forest had given her the tools to survive, and she was determined to use them.
A Path Forward: As Selara moved deeper into the forest, she left behind the remnants of her former life. She was no longer the broken, abused girl of the Grimm household. She was a Jaeger, a hunter forged in the crucible of pain and survival. She would continue to hunt, to survive, and to carve out a new life in the wilderness.










I shall have you marry duke drakon. While these where beign said selaras thoughts were ''has he finally gone mad? No, why am i even suprised. The Drakons are througly isolated due to forces that seek to keep their power in check. And at the center of it all is my family, House Grimm. The Drakon family is in shambles, because of our family. How could father think of me, a Grimm, marry Cedric Drakon, who is a victim?''

Hey Selara, are you listening? Anyways, Duke Drako have always been a person who is difficult to manipulate. However it seems that lately, he is in desperate need of support from other families. Throught this marriage, Drakon's will receive financial support from the Grimm's. And we will finally have the opportunity to swallow up the Drakons. Starting from now on you will be taking bridal classes, Selara. You should be capable of at least that much, no matter how incompetent you are.

''Yes, father''

''Good you are excused.''

as she was leaving her father was mumbling '' Tch, even someone like you has their uses.''

After going to her room, she closed the door, she lets herself go and sits down on the ground. ''If i marry the duke, and escape the castle, will i find happiness?.. It's highly unlikely. House Grimm always used any means necessary to seize wealth and power. On the other hand, house Drakon is a family that upholds justice and morals. That's why the two families have been at odds for so long. There is no way Duke Drakon would think well of me... Yet a part of me still thinks otherwise.''

'I held on because i didnt have the courage to take my own life. The reason i havent given up yet, is because of a tiny glimmer of hope that someday, someone might reach out, and give me a hand..'

One day at the house, duke drakon was coming to visit house grimm. Selara was thinking while walking byherself.

'Duke Drakon, i have heard rumors but i wonder how he's really like. Is he as wonderfull and impressive as people say?' and with her dead eyes she thought '' 'if so he's definetly not a match for someone like me'

As she was walking, one of her brother, Owen, cut her toughts ''What the- Are you insane? Why are you dressed like that? Do you really think your looks will work on that frigid bastard Drakon?''

I see, now i understand why my father was so concerned about my attire today. He wants to use every advantage i have as ''Selara Grimm'', how ridiculous.

''What do you think? am i enchanting?'' i said with a smile i could muster with all my abilities. I could see that he was frustrated by my apparence, he was blushing a bit.

He started raising his voice ''Have you really lost your mind? Go back to your room. You are dressed like a common whore!''

Aah, he is really getting on my nerves. ''Father ordered me to wear these, if you have a problem with that go and persuade father yourself''

.. Well at least that shut him off.

After going out to the garden to get some air, i see him. He looks as dazzling as the rumors say, nay, even the rumors seem to belittle him. We look at each others eyes, maybe longer than i remember. He seems to be studying me. Oh, it must be because of how i am dressed! This is so embarrasing. As i was trying to cover myself he says ''Aren't you cold?'' as he gives me his coat. ''From your looks, you must be Selara Grimm, right? You dont seem dressed to go out on a walk'' as he says that all my face goes red. I just want to disappear. And then he just walks away with his servant.