Chapter 19: Princess Elena

Her shaky hands press the knife to her wrist and she is ready to cut through it. She doesn't want to do it, but the voice in her head keeps urging her.

"Do it, Amaya, do it "

She tries to ignore it, but she can't. It all seems like her body isn't hers anymore. No matter how hard she tries to lower the knife, she can't. The place she is in is dark and she doesn't recall how she got here, but she doesn't care about that, all she cares about is how to stop herself from killing herself.

"Do it Amaya" she hears footsteps behind her and she freezes. The person comes into view. Her mouth drops.

It is the warlock boy from the woods. He still has that fierce look in his gray eyes as he watches her and Amaya can't help but shudder even though he is just a kid.

"What are you doing boy?” her voice comes out in a whisper.

"Trying to get you to kill yourself"

"Why?"

"Because I hate you all" he glares at her as he walks toward them. He grabs the knife from her shaky hands and holds her wrist. His hands are smaller than hers, but he holds her hand with a surprising strength. He is about to cut her wrist when everything becomes black and.....

She wakes up. Beads of sweat gather on their forehead as she pants. The door opens shortly and Lauretta runs inside. She looks worried while Amaya on the other hand is scared beyond words.

"My lady, is there a problem?"

Amaya finds it hard to find her voice, but she eventually does. "It was just a dream" But why did it feel so real? She looks at her wrist and is shocked to see a red bruise mark on them.

"What happened to your wrist?" she asks, but Amaya is too stunned to speak.

"Should I call the king?"

"No," she whispers. "It was just a dream"

"Are you sure you are okay Milady?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine" she wipes the sweat off her head. One thing she can do is lie, but she can most definitely not go back to sleep. She is too scared for that. The thought of seeing him makes her scared to the bone. He was just a boy, but his eyes were different. They looked very experienced.

Was she wrong to have those people free? What did Lucan mean when he said if the warlock boy leaves the chain, they were all doomed? All this question streams through her as she trembles.

"Stay here with me Lauretta" she begs with pleading eyes.

"But Milady"

"I insist" she begs and Lauretta nods.

"Yes, Milady" she settles at the other side of the bed while Amaya remains where she is, but doesn't go back to sleep. She is too scared to do that.

********

"My Lord" his guard Alvaro bows his head. "The king of Persia has arrived" he announces and both mother and son turn to look at each other.

"We will be out shortly," Lucan says.

The moment his guard leaves, his mother speaks. "Well son, we are one step away from making this kingdom a better one. I am glad you agreed to this alliance. Elena will make a good wife" His mother beames, but Lucan doesn't say anything. He gets up from where he is seated and walks out to greet his guest.

The king of Persia is just as Lucan had remembered him. He is still the same pudgy, old man whose love for gold is more than his love for war.

Behind him are some of his men. Lucan doesn't fail to notice the lady too. He doesn't need to be told, he already knows it is Elena.

"Lucan," The king of Persia says as he jumps down from his horse. "The last time I saw you, you were chasing little squirrels around the kingdom, but you have grown so big now" he holds Lucan roughly by the shoulder, shaking him mildly

"Milady" he looks at Rebecca behind Lucan and walks towards her. He kisses her on her hand before speaking again.

"May I present to you my daughter?" he says to Lucan. Elena has already gotten down from her house as she smiles elegantly.

Lucan is impressed by her beauty. She has beautiful dark eyes and dark hair. Her smile is pleasant and genuine, but Lucan isn't attracted to her a bit.

"Let's go inside and talk better," Lucan says with a forced smile.

They all walk inside the palace room. While Ralph, the king of Persia, tardies behind discussing with Rebecca, Lucan is at the front walking as fast as possible.

All this is happening too fast. He agreed to Ralph's request to marry his daughter, thinking he had enough time to maneuver his way through it, but at this point, his hands are tied. What will he tell Amaya? She is going to find out and it may get ugly.

"It is a good thing for our kingdoms to ally. You have thought well Lucan" Ralph says as soon as he sits.

Lucan settles opposite him while his mother sits at the side. They are all in the counsel room.

"Yes, yes it is. It is a way to make both kingdoms great" he says and Ralph nods.

"What do you think of my daughter?"

Even if he doesn't want to marry her, he can't tell Ralph that. "She is..." He looks for the right word to use because at that point his brain is blank. "Beautiful"

"Of course she is" he erupts into laughter and Lucan's mother joins, causing Lucan to wonder what is so funny.

"We shall have a party after the paper works to celebrate our alliance because it is indeed a great thing of joy" Lucan suggests and the both of them nod in agreement.

"When is the wedding going to take place," Ralph asks. He is desperate to marry his daughter off and it confuses Lucan.

"When she is ready"

"Oh she is ready now"

"Then the wedding will take place the day after tomorrow" he blurts out. The wedding will only take place if he doesn't kill her before that time.

********

Amaya sits on the chair, looking at her reflection in the mirror when the door opens. She looks up to see Wendy who has a cup of water in her hand, but also a sad look in her eyes.

She settles the cup on the table and turns to leave quickly when Amaya stops her. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine Milady" she smiles at Amaya. Even a little child will know that smile is fake.

"Then why are your eyes dull?"

"I uh.." she thinks for a while. "I didn't get enough sleep last night"

"I heard noises outside. What is going on?" she asks, dropping the matter since Wendy doesn't want to tell her what the problem is.

"The king of Persia arrived"

"King Ralph?"

"You know of him?"

"Who doesn't"

Persia is one of the most powerful kingdoms in the west. The kingdom is known as the savage kingdom where people believed in only two things; sex and money.

"What did they come to do here?" Amaya asks.

"To ally with this kingdom"

"That's a good thing"Amaya beams. "Where is Lucan by the way?"

"In the palace hall, having a meeting with king Ralph"

Even after talking with Wendy for over 2 minutes, the sadness in her eyes doesn't go away. It disturbs Amaya and she is forced to ask.

"Are you sure you are okay?"

"Milady" she bit her lips nervously. "King Lucan is getting married"

Amaya's mouth drops