AVERYNirana’s soul perished. With it, the darkness disappeared too. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the dark clouds parting. My eyes stung, my lungs ached, and my hands trembled as the light shone through the sky.I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I last saw light. But, I knew…it hurt to be in the light again. The sunshine, the brightness, the sun…it all felt foreign. But the warmth didn’t.The warmth felt familiar. The cold night ended, and the warm morning came again.It took the people, the brothers, and Aleister some time to finally come to terms with the new reality. The looks of disbelief on their faces told me everything I needed to know.The light was not new for me. I had spent my life basking under the sunlight, seeing the blue seas and feeling the warmth on my skin.But they didn’t.That’s why, I felt Aleister’s emotions fluctuating. The grief was pushed behind a wave of awe, as if he was introduced to a whole new world, as if he had served the purpose
AVERYAleister has washed the blood off his body and is now wearing a set of clean clothes—a black button-down shirt with black pants. Everything about him looks put together, even the coldness in his eyes except for the emotions he is hiding behind the hard exterior. I wrap my arms around myself and stand beside the doors, my back against the wall and my eyes on the man sitting on the throne. When the doors close, fear spreads in the air. Instinctively, people drop to their knees, showing respect to the King again.“ We apologize, My King. ”“ Spare our life, My King. ”“ Have Mercy, My King. ”Aleister’s cold gaze sweeps across the kneeling people until his eyes find me standing there, just staring at him. I expect him to look at me coldly too…because I did play some part in Agrona’s death.But, his eyes soften the same way they do. No one sees how vulnerability reflects in his gaze as he stares at me, as if asking me to come to him and embrace him.‘ I am here. I am not going an
AVERYIt took everyone some time to finally come to terms with what Aleister said. First, it was hard to believe.Then, it sounded like a joke.Finally, it dawned upon them.The King left the throne room. People were pushed out of the castle by the warriors.Outside the walls, Noelle helped them understand what Aleister’s order meant. He was not tricking them or trying to hurt them.He was letting them go.Once again, the people found themselves in disbelief. Until…One of them tried a magic trick they had only ever read in books. He turned the green grass to a funny blue color. And in the end, chaos erupted.They all could do it. I watched as the people laughed and cried and prayed for the King’s long life. Amidst the disaster that befell the Kingdom, this felt like a moment of celebration. But it was heavily tinged with melancholy. I couldn’t fathom if their tears were tears of happiness alone or if they cried because for the first time in their lives, after almost generations, t
AVERY“ You know how it goes, Princess… ” Aleister murmurs. “ I was not born to be anything special. From the moment I started understanding what life is, I was already told that I was to die when my brother became the King. ”He told me this before. But I don’t stop him as he speaks in a low voice.“ When the servants mocked us brothers, when the witches told us what they were going to our bodies once we were dead, when our father shot us cold looks as if he couldn’t wait for us to die…Drew, my brother was the only one who said that it didn’t matter. ” Aleister sighs and leans closer.“ It might sound strange but…The world I was born in…didn’t teach us hope. When I was told that I must die, I thought it was my destiny. It was scary and cruel…and it hurt…but I never thought about fighting it. The previous Princes were killed. And so I didn’t even find it odd. ”I swallow, and place my hand over his forearm. The detached tone he is using doesn’t sit right with me because it doesn’t mat
AVERYAfter a heavy pause of silence, the temperature drops in the room. Clara opens and closes her mouth several times but no words come out of her mouth.“ You couldn’t have gotten pregnant if you did it once. ” Aleister mumbles in a trance. “ How long…How many times…Why… ”His questions remain incomplete. It feels like he is filling the blanks on his own, not allowing her a chance to lie to him again. “ I am sorry, Leister. But we need to end this between us. ” Clara whispers, folding her arms around herself. “ End what? ” Aleister laughs mockingly. “ end what exactly? The fact that you have to go behind my back to fuck my brother? Do we need to end this so you can do it openly now? ”“ I already told you. I need him, Leister. I need him to make a change. I have no choice but to sacrifice my love. ” She cries out. “ You are so sure that he will survive. What if he doesn’t? What if Father doesn’t let him go either? What if he is the one who dies? ” Aleister’s voice turns cold and
AVERY“ She was right. ” He murmurs over my lips. “ I wished death upon him. The day I found out what he did to me, I wished with all my heart that he died. And…he did. He died. ”“ No. ” I snap, cupping his cheeks again. “ How can you believe it’s your fault?! You were right to be angry, Aleister. ”“ No. I— ”“ Look at me. ” My voice rises, as anger surges in my veins.Slowly, he blinks his eyes open and stares into mine. My heart drowns as I find the pain reflecting in his gaze.How could they do this to him? I always thought the woman he loved must be an angel, but she was the worst devil to exist. How could she blame him for anything when she was the one who went around cheating on him with his brother?How could he be blamed if his father decided to kill his brother?“ Did you do anything to make your Father hurt your brother? ” I whisper, as my eyes burn.Aleister shakes his head. “ I would never. Even if he had taken my life, I wouldn’t have…done anything to him. ”“ Then ho
ALEISTERI couldn’t say anything to her after what she said to me.There is light in you, Aleister. It’s beautiful and I love it.Her words kept echoing in my ears as I held her throughout the night. She didn’t push me to continue, and didn’t say anything as her fingers ran through my hair, her eyes soft on me.After a tiring while, she fell asleep and her body relaxed in my arms. But I couldn’t even blink.I had told her that I murdered so many people—my brother, my father, the woman I thought I loved. And she still slept so peacefully in my arms as if she was not scared of me at all.It’s true. She will never stop surprising me. When I think she won’t be angry, she becomes a ball of fury and when I think she will be angry at me for keeping things from her, she tells me that I am beautiful instead.I can’t understand her. So, I admire her. I love her. I respect her. And soon, I will make her my Queen if she will have me. If…That word scares me.The doubt about her is killing me. I d
AVERYThe world around me stills. My hands holding his waist drop by my side. For a few seconds, I try to make sense of his words, and when they sink in…I find myself numb.‘ No matter what you believe, I will be there when you need me. ’ He said this to me the day I left home and said goodbye to the North forever.But he never came. I needed him so many times. At every turn, every time I was near my death, every time I was in pain, every time I was scared…The person I wanted to reach out to...was him. My brother.But he didn’t come.As my thoughts go down the worst way, another memory resurfaces.‘ Foreign little creatures. ’‘ Someone sent them for you, Princess. ’When I heard the water spirit saying this…I felt his presence. No one in this world can manipulate water like this except Dustin. A noose tightens around my throat, making it impossible to breathe without feeling an ache. My hands clench and unclench as I try to form words.“ He’s been here for days, just camping outsi