Once Upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a Kingdom situated between a sprawling Green Valley, the mountains and the unforgiving sea. The people who lived there with a happy, carefree sword, who never knew the taste of fear nor misfortune. Children played freely in the streets, and the nearby forest offered bounties aplenty.You couldn't throw so much as a stone without accidentally hitting a deer in the head.

Needless to say that the people of the Kingdom thrived. However, as things often are where fortunes are concerned, sooner or later it turns.One day 4 great beasts darkened the skies. They swept through the Kingdom and opened their giant maws to unleash a rain of fire. Houses crumbled, bridges burned, and the people who tried to flee would turn to ash. What few knew, and many learned later, was that the beasts were justified in their rage. And the rage they did before Dragons, kings in their own right, soon came to be known by their rightful names.

There was Sabretooth, slim and agile, with teeth sharp enough to cleave ships in half. The Sleepless, whose dark rattling scales blended with the night. Cannibal, unpredictable and cunning, who found amusement and stealing sheep from their pastures as well as babes from their cribs.

And lastly, there was one who people feared most of all, Cessarion, the Red Death. In an effort to ensure their own survival, the people of Sunfire Isle struck a bargain with the Four Kings. A deal that wouls guarantee the safety of both species and in turn build a bridge of temporary peace between humans and the Dragon Kin.

But the price was very steep. Once every 100 years, a virgin would be sent to marry one of the beasts. It didn't matter if it was a young man or woman, only that they were of age and untouched. The choice of bride, although seemingly random, always followed a certain pattern. Healthy, privileged and terribly unlucky. And once the bride or groom departed, they were never seen again. Centuries went by in this manner, the wealthy sacrificing their young to survive and the young welcoming duty to secure the lives of the many.

Until one day a letter arrived at a young woman's door, summoning her to her fate. She was neither of noble birth nor of considerable standing, but she was chosen all the same. Her mother wept and her father was too drunk to care, but she was gifted with quiet courage and a noble heart at that. She set off to meet her new husband.

Gripping the reins with trembling hands, she travelled through the treacherous terrain along a winding road to the Dragon King’s abode. She knew little of him, but the time spent in the dark forest offered a quiet reprieve for her to consider her new circumstances.

So much so that she didn't notice when a mysterious youth stepped out from amongst the trees.

Good thing horses are alert, at least.