by Eva Brandt
Eva Brandt
Enchanted Damnation
The Accursed Saga 4
Copyright © 2019 by Eva Brandt
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
Eva Brandt has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.
Cover art is for illustration purposes only. Cover by Rainbow Danger Designs.
First edition
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Contents
Enchanted Damnation
A Note from the Author
Index
Prologue
Plans of a Princess
The Suitors
The Tournament Begins
Stormy Beaches
Plans and Secrets
Sealing the Deal
The Wedding
First Time
Echoes of Magic
Bloody Kisses
Plagued
Song of the Damned
Reaching for Valhalla
Flight of the Wolf
The Accursed Heir
The Last Dance
Epilogue
Also by Eva Brandt
Coming soon: Chimera Academy
About the Author
Enchanted Damnation
Before there was Lucienne, there was Dahud, the cursed princess, the damned queen, the woman who shaped the world. The tale of her tragedy begins.
Emotion. It’s such a simple word, something people take for granted. For as long as I can remember, I haven’t been able to experience it, and I haven’t felt the lack. My emotions are a small price to pay for the power I wield.
I have a goal—to become the queen my homeland needs, to tear apart the crumbling empire of Rome and claim the world for myself. That is the only thing that matters.
But I am a woman, and even princesses must follow the rules of their time. And when my father deems it necessary for me to marry, I cannot object.
I’m not willing to marry just anyone. I have no desire to bind myself to some fool who will attempt to control me. The answer is simple—a tournament that will help me pick the best husband, someone who will be loyal to me alone, who will stand by my side, who will support me despite my unusual nature.
I should’ve known better than to think anything in my life would be easy. Three men appear in my path, a woodcutter whose sight goes beyond the physical, a fugitive prince from the bloodline of Odin, and a Úlfhéðnar, a wolf warrior with a heart as golden as my magic. With them, they bring emotion, but also the answers to the countless questions I’ve asked myself throughout the years.
I am cursed and my power will always be tragedy to the people I love. What am I supposed to do?
Enchanted Damnation is a 74k words reverse harem paranormal romance that takes place in the past and acts as a prequel for the main arc of The Accursed Saga. Inside, you’ll find steamy scenes between a cursed princess and her soulmates, spiced up with a forbidden m/m romance. Approach with caution. There will be dark themes some readers may find questionable.
A Note from the Author
Thank you for picking up Enchanted Damnation. I wanted to give you a head’s up that while set in the past, this story does take significant liberties with historical information. It is a paranormal story, with historical inspiration.
It is also a prequel for the main arc and stars the ‘past lives’ of the previous characters.
As you’ve probably come to expect of my stories, the book also contains dark themes, including mind control, genocide, violence, etc.
Index
Norse Mythology Terms
Skald - (in ancient Scandinavia) a composer and reciter of poems honoring heroes and their deeds
Argr – old Norse term, meaning unmanly
Seiðr - ancient Germanic art of feminine sorcery
Seiðkona, völva (plural völur) - practitioner of Seiðr, seeress, prophetess
Ulfheðnar - Viking animal-warriors said to wear wolf skins in battle; depicted here as shape-shifters
Berserkers – Norse animal-warriors said to wear bear skins in battle (similar to the Ulfheðnar). They were said to fight in a trance-like state of uncontrollable rage and bloodlust.
Norns - in Norse mythology, female beings who rule the destiny of gods and men; the Fates
Valhalla – in Norse mythology, a warrior’s paradise meant for those who die in battle; half of the chosen warriors go to Valhalla, with the others going to Freyja’s field Fólkvangr.
Hel – in Norse mythology, the afterlife meant for people who were evil or didn’t die a noble death (died because of disease or old age)
Historical Locations and Figures
Kerys - mythical city that was built on the coast of Brittany; depicted here as an island with the capital city of Ys
Gradlon the Great – king of Cornouaille, hero of Breton folk stories, in love with the witch Malgven; the ruler of Ys
Dahut (or Dahud) – Gradlon’s daughter, the princess of Ys
Sæmingr - ancient king of Norway, said to be the son of Odin
Alaric I - first king of the Visigoths, known for the sacking of Rome
Rothesteus - Gothic sub-king under the Thervingian chieftain Athanaric, known as Alaric’s father of grandfather and Atharid’s father.
About the Accursed
The Accursed are a special race of paranormal creatures created by exploiting the bond between soulmates through the use of dark magic. There are several different types of Accursed, all aligned with different elements and possessing different abilities.
•Shape-shifters. Originally aligned with the element of earth. Feeding source: flesh. Abilities: can shape-shift into different animals. Superior strength, speed, senses and healing factor. Physically the strongest of all Accursed. Main vulnerability: unable to use magic of any kind.
• Vampires. Originally aligned with water. Feeding source: blood. Abilities: Superior strength, speed, senses, longevity and healing factor. Limited mind magic skills. Limited shape-shifting skills. Skills are impaired if vampires do not feed properly. Main vulnerability: sunlight.
•Incubi. Aligned with spirit. Feeding source: emotions. Abilities: mental and emotional manipulation, astral projection, power absorption. Main vulnerability: can easily become overwhelmed by the emotions of others
•Twice-blessed. Originally aligned with fire. Feeding source: magic. Abilities: telekinesis, shielding, fire manipulati
on, levitation. Main vulnerability: not as physically strong as other Accursed.
•Plagues. Aligned with air. Feeding source: life. Abilities: electricity and air current manipulation. Older plagues can use an ability called life steal, that allows them to kill their targets by cutting off their oxygen supply.
•Alarians. Alignment - multiple elements. No feeding source. Abilities can vary from one Alarian to the other. Specializations include mind magic, battle magic, healing. Main vulnerability: inability to feel.
All Accursed are vulnerable to silver weapons.
The Pure Kingdom of Alaria is the sole organized nation of the Accursed, founded by the High King Alaric, the son of the ancestor of all Accursed. Currently led by King Sterling Alarisson.
Prologue
Anna
4th century, Kerys, somewhere near Cornouaille
“Die? My child is going to die? You can’t be serious!”
I flinched at the volume of Queen Malgven’s cry. I could understand the woman’s grief and I didn’t blame her for it. A babe’s death was always a tragedy. At the same time, though, I was worried that in this particular case, the extent of the mother’s pain might lead me to meet with the axe by morning.
It didn’t help that I would find no support from King Gradlon. On the contrary, the man was even angrier than his wife, something which didn’t surprise me in the least bit. Little Dahud was his lone daughter and heiress, and King Gradlon had celebrated the birth with great pomp. For weeks after Dahud’s arrival into the world, the streets of Ys had been filled with music and laughter. The king had been generous with his people in his joy at the blessing he had received. It was a cruel fate indeed that they had celebrated much too quickly, as it did not seem the babe would survive the year.
Of course, if things kept heading in the current direction, neither would I.
“You are my healer!” Gradlon snarled at me. “It is your purpose to fix such things! So fix it.”
I straightened my back and faced the furious royals, knowing that I could not hide the truth from them. “The child is weak, Your Majesty. I’m afraid Her Majesty’s troubles during the pregnancy took a toll, just like we had feared, and the princess will not be able to recuperate from this second bout of illness.”
“But there has to be something you can do,” Queen Malgven snapped, her voice thick with fury and loss. “You can’t just let my daughter die.”
The words held powerful magic, the likes of which I could not hope to resist. It urged me to respond, to share my knowledge with the couple. “There is a way,” I said between gritted teeth. I didn’t really want to utter the words, or reveal the secrets hidden in my heart, but I could not help myself. Queen Malgven refused to be denied and her magic had always been formidable.
“What way?” the king inquired. “Speak, woman!”
“As you know, all human beings have soulmates,” I blurted out. “All the ancient texts agree that originally, mankind looked quite different, with two sets of arms, legs and eyes, two hearts, and so on and so forth. However, the gods felt that this made humans too powerful, and in an attempt to weaken us, broke us in two.”
Gradlon waved an impatient hand, urging me to get to the point. “Yes, yes. I know the stories. How will that help Dahud?”
“There are… ways to exploit the bonds between soulmates, Your Majesty.” I looked at the pale figure of the child in the ornate crib. “Truth be told, I believe that the only reason why your daughter is alive even now is because she has a soulmate that is keeping her in this world. But that will not last for much longer.”
“So what do you suggest?“Queen Malgven prodded. “I take it you did not start telling us fairy tales for no reason.”
“It would be…” I paused, suddenly having trouble getting the words out. “I could…”
Malgven’s magic urged me to continue to speak, but the knowledge of the possible consequences was stronger. I snapped my mouth shut, fighting Malgven’s power.
So many people could be hurt if I did this. Yes, Dahud would survive, but another would die in her place, someone just as innocent as the princess. This was wrong. I couldn’t allow Malgven’s enchantment to control me.
Even if they killed me for this defiance, I could not break the rule I had followed for so long. I had already come close, but fortunately, I had stopped myself in time. Some things were more important than others, and I could never forget that.
Malgven gripped my arm, her fingernails digging into my flesh like a claw. “Speak, or I will kill you where you stand, and then move onto your family.”
My breath caught at the queen’s vitriolic threat. Once, when I’d been a naive child, I’d thought she cared about me, but now, I had no doubt that she meant her words. She and her husband had killed for far less. Rumor had it that the queen had been married before, and King Gradlon had mercilessly struck down her first husband. If they believed I was keeping something from them that could help their daughter, they would not hesitate to massacre my entire village.
I was not afraid to die, but all those children… All those families… My mother, my siblings…
The last time I’d visited my village, my sister had told me she was hoping to have a child soon. She and her husband did not have much, but they were so in love I had almost felt jealous. My brother was making progress on his dream to become a legendary blacksmith. His apprenticeship had been going well, and his master had told him that soon, he would be able to depart on his journey, to prove himself further and truly become an honored part of their guild.
And it wasn’t just them. There were so many other people, all with hopes, dreams and families. What should I do? I didn’t know. Why had I not managed to fight the spell sooner? If I hadn’t let the information slip, they would’ve never known about this option to begin with. I was such a fool.
Malgven’s hold on me tightened so much I expected her to snap my bones any moment now. Gradlon pulled out his dagger and placed it against my eye. “Speak,” he said. “If my child passes because of your silence, you will beg for death before the end. I will make you watch as I burn every single person you have ever known alive.”
I knew I should not be yielding to his threats, but I was a healer, not a soldier. I could face my own death fine, but the sheer concept of the devastation Gradlon and his wicked wife could unleash upon my home did away with my resistance.
“There is a spell,” I whispered. “It is forbidden magic, dark magic. We should… We only speak of it to acknowledge the necessity of protecting ourselves from such powers. It breaks the rules the gods have set for us, and it should not be used.”
“I’ve never heard of anything like that,” Malgven said, her eyes glowing with a malicious, greedy light. “What spell? What does it do?”
Shaking, I forced myself to respond, although I wanted nothing more than to bite my tongue off and remain silent. “I learned of it while I was traveling in the East. It would suck the life force of your daughter’s soulmate and siphon it into her. She would be saved.”
Malgven’s eyes widened and she slapped me with a strength and viciousness that belied her frail looks. Her fingernails raked over my cheek, tearing open the skin. “Fool! Why didn’t you tell us this from the very beginning, instead of taking chances with my daughter’s life? ”
I cupped my bleeding cheek, hoping against all hope that I might still be able to make the two royals see sense. “Your Majesty, you must understand. This does not come without consequences. Without her soulmate, your child will live a half-life. She will be forever cursed to have a void of emptiness inside her that she will never be able to fill.”
I didn’t bother emphasizing the other child would die. The two royals already understood that and likely couldn’t have cared less.
In fact, it appeared that they couldn’t have cared less about any of my arguments. “Better a half-life, than no life at all,” the king stated. “Do it. Perform the spell.”
I suppressed my tears, curs
ing the moment I had decided to leave my village to become a healer at the king’s court. Queen Malgven had seen my talents at the mystical arts and had welcomed me. I’d been so grateful for that and I’d helped many people since then. But I feared that my past actions would not compensate for the damage this spell could do.
It was too late for regrets now. I had been weak, weaker than the child barely managing to breathe in her ornate crib. I had yielded to my fear, and now I had to pay the price for it. There was no way to turn back, no room for me to escape.
“So be it,” I replied. “However, this will require some preparation, and some assistance from you and Her Majesty, the Queen.”
In this, at least, the two royals were cooperative. They followed my instructions to the letter, although they always kept an eye on me, probably intending to make sure I didn’t double cross them.
I considered it, but I didn’t dare. Magic of this nature was unstable even when cast properly. If sabotaged, there was no telling what it would do.
As such, I did exactly as I had promised. With utmost care and attention, I drew a pentagram in the center of the royal dormitories, using my personal supply of purified salt as a starting point. The pentagram would stabilize the spell and channel the magic into Princess Dahud, making sure the life force of her mate did not overwhelm her. Five bowls were placed around the pentagram, one in each point of the star, all of them containing different things essential for the working. Once the space itself was prepared, I bathed the princess in sanctified water and cleansed her of all impurities.
