11. Searching

Oren pov

It's been three days since Amaya left, and I feel like I'm dying.

I postponed my coronation as I can't get myself to focus on anything. A fogged mind is not what a King needs. And how can I be able to rule this Kingdom if all I can think of is my Alter?

Tonight I will leave. I need to find her. Hopefully, she can forget me for not doing this earlier.

"Oren, son, what's wrong?" My father's voice came from behind me.

I was sitting in the office looking out the window with a glass of whiskey in my hand.

"Father..." I said turning around and bowing slightly.

"Don't do this, Oren! You are the next King of Earth Kingdom. Besides, I am your father, and no one is here with us."

"You are right," I said in a low cold voice.

Cold... this is all I can feel since she left. Nothing seems to warm up my shattered heart.

"Now, tell me, what's wrong, son?"

"I need to go, father! I need to find her! How can I be a King when my Queen is out there alone in the wilderness? She might be scared or, even worse, hurt. What if this is the reason she didn't return? I shouldn't let her go. I should have run after her. Showing her, I'm there for her, for us! But I was a fool! Thinking that she may need to be alone."

A single tear escaped my eyes, and I saw my father's usually stern face softening.

"I understand, son! I will do whatever I can to help you. Take your time and find her. We will wait for you to be ready to take over the throne. And don't forget, son... We love you!"

I look at him, surprised. I was expecting my father to protest, to try and make me stay. But he assured me that they would support me.

"Thank you, father! I love you too!" I said, hugging him.

"What is this? Is hugging time, and you didn't think to tell me?" my mother's sweet voice came. She was standing at the door with her hands on her hips, pretending to be upset.

"Forgive us, my Queen!" I said mockingly, and they both burst into laughter.

But they stop when they notice my sad face.

"What's wrong, son?" my mom asks.

"I'm leaving, mother!"

"What?! But..." she shouts, but my father stopped her.

"Erin, my love, let him be! I would have done the same for you!"

Her face transitioned from annoyed to sad.

"I see... I should have guessed it was about Amaya. Go, son! Find her and bring her back! Your father and I will take care of the Kingdom till you return."

"Thank you, mom!" I said and kissed her cheek.

She pulled me into her arms and kept me there for a few moments.

I could feel that she was sad and worried, but I didn't say anything.

"Now go, son! Go before I change my mind!"

I nod my head without a word, and I exit the room. As soon as I closed the door behind me, I could hear my mother's sobs. But I didn't stop. I was so determined to find Amaya that nothing could stop me.

I go to stalls and jump on the first horse I meet. It was a back stallion so beautiful that I would admire him for a whole day if the circumstances were different.

I ride through the forest, heading to where I have seen Amaya last time. I knew it would take me three days to be there so that I won't stop at all on the way. I can't waste any more time.

I remember the day I met her, my Alter. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her dark blue eyes are stuck in my mind. The way she looked at me when I lost my calm and hit the wall next to her...

"You are a fool, Prince Oren!" I said to myself.

"I... I can't do this! I'm sorry, Oren! But I can't have an Alter! Not now! Please, you need to understand! I need time."

Her voice resonates in my head.

'She needed time, but I am wondering if I gave her too much? Does she think that I have abandoned her?' I thought when my horse came to a stop.

"What's wrong, boy?" I said and looked around to see what scared him. But there was nothing, so I kept going.

"Oren! Oren stop! I hear someone yelling at me.

I look behind only to see Willow and Titus.

" What are you doing here?" I ask them, hoping they are not here to stop me.

"We are here to help. Amaya was our friend too, Oren, and you are like a brother to me. Besides, Evolet will kill me if she finds out I didn't do this." Willow said, chuckling.

"Thank you! Both of you! But how did you know?"

"We arrived at the Earth Kingdom just after you left. I have promised mom and dad that I will bring Aiden. When Queen Erin told us that you went alone to search for Amaya, we didn't need any more time to decide that we wanted to come. So we just took two horses and came this way. It was obvious that you will go there, where she was last time when we saw her."

"I see... Thank you for doing this! Now we should go. The more time we waste, the further she might go." I said to them, and they both nodded their heads.

We were riding for already thirty-five hours when Willow starts complaining about how much her butt is hurting. So we decided to stop for an hour.

"Thank God! My butt will look like a wooden board if I keep riding like this." Willow said, and we burst into laughter.

It was good to have them with me, even if they slow me down.