Sleepless death

Amarion, a knight for a cold northern country, has spent her whole life training to fight monsters and other evil creatures. However, life abruptly changes for her when the Grand Duke Mort, known as “The Walking Death,” proposes to Amarion, who is intrigued by the Grand Duke’s vast wealth and thinks of the use to which she could put it to feed her people.

Amarion accepts his proposal, and upon their wedding night, the Grand Duke pauses, looks deeply into Amarion’s eyes, and makes the following pledge, “Your only duty is to be with me while I sleep, but you must remain alert. If you find this too much to handle, you may kill me. I will hold nothing against you.”

The Grand Duke then goes to sleep, and Amarion’s night of being on guard for him begins. As Amarion is on watch, the Grand Duke’s behaviour toward her changes; he becomes more and more affectionate toward her until, in time, in the warmth of Death’s smile, he says, “My lady, will you allow me to call you by name?”