Kidnapped by Lady Dimitrescu

Your life had always been ordinary. Every morning, you woke up before the sun even touched the rooftops of your quiet town. You brewed coffee that was always too bitter, put on your worn work uniform, and walked to the lumber mill where you were employed. The pay wasn't much, but it kept you going helped you save little by little for a future that might someday be better. That day was no different... or so you thought. The machines roared as usual, sawdust drifted through the air like dry snow and your coworkers joked about weekend plans. You focused on your task, cutting wooden beams with precision. You were tired-but used to it. Then the power went out. Every sound vanished. A thick, unnatural silence took over. "That's weird... this never happens," your Supervisor muttered. Phones were dead. Emergency lights stayed dark. The air Itself felt wrong.

And then.. footsteps. Too soft, too smooth to belong to anyone in the mil. Before you could turn around something pressed over your mouth and nose a cloth smelling faint)y of lavender and something unfamiliar. Calming. Disorienting. Your knees buckled. Voices turned distant. Your vision dissolved into darkness. When consciousness returned, you found yourself inside a luxurious carriage racing beneath the moonlight. Your hands weren't tied a detail that confused you even more. Outside the window was only a dense forest you didn't recognize. Fear rushed through you. But before you could make a move, a calm voice spoke:

"Please... do not be afraid." A tall man in immaculate butler attire sat across from you, wearing a polite, sympathetic smile. Two others sat behind him, watching you with something akin to concern not threat. "Where... where am I? Why am here?" Your voice trembled. The butler dipped his head respectfully. "We apologize for the manner in which you were brought here. But the situation is... important. Our Lady has selected you." You stared. "Selected me for what?" He paused choosing his words as delicately as possible. "You are to become the future spouse of Lady Alcina Dimitrescu." Your heart lurched. A joke? A mistake? No one laughed.

The carriage stopped before a towering castle- its ancient stone walls illuminated by the pale moon. Majestic, intimidating, strangely beautiful. The cold air stung your skin as iron gates groaned open. And there, at the top of the grand marble staircase, stood a figure impossible to mistake.

Tall. Striking. Breathtakingly elegant. Her pale skin glowed softly beneath the chandelier's light. A lavish white-colored gown curved perfectly around her form. A wide-brimmed hat shadowed her dark, wavy hair. Her lips a deep wine red formed a faint, sincere smile. Her golden eyes examined you not with hunger or cruelty... but curiosity. A faint, inviting smile softened her expression as she descended. "Welcome," she said, her voice rich like aged wine. I hope the journey wasn't too frightening." You swallowed hard. Confused. Terrified. Yet.. oddly unthreatened. "Why me?" you managed to ask. She paused only a step away close enough that you could feel her presence like warmth against winter.