Under the Beast’s Realm

“I would rather jump off a cliff than marry you.”
It was only in the wedding hall that Valetta realized her groom had been replaced. The man she was supposed to marry was Leonard Carnies, the cursed hero of the Empire.
It didn’t matter that his appearance had become monstrous because of the dragon’s curse. Four years ago, Valetta’s older brother had died in Leonard’s place, and as Leonard’s former lover, she had channeled all her anger into him, ending their relationship.
“Break the curse. If you do, I’ll divorce you without a second thought.”
The curse could only be broken by true love, but Valetta knew she could never love Leonard. So, she made up her mind to run away from him.

* * *

After tracking down the runaway Valetta, Leonard asked her.
“Did you run away just because you were so scared?”
Valetta refused to be trapped in a marriage built on hatred and resentment. More than anything, she wanted the child growing in her womb to grow up in a home filled with happiness.