Kaltain
HelionThe days had gone back to the way they were before. The empty feeling of the castle even when it was flooded with guards and maids. The heavy silence in the air even when the castle was noisy. There was something about Leiya that I didn't understand. I couldn't understand why. I hated that I couldn't control myself. I hated that I always wanted her around. I hated that I couldn't concentrate on anything when she wasn't around me. Knowing that she was out there without me scared me, and I was never afraid.There was only so much I could take. Everyday since she had left, I yearned after her. The fact that she was furious at me when she left gave me sleepless nights. I kept on hurting her even when I didn't mean to. I wanted to stay away from her, let her be so I don't hurt her anymore, but I couldn't. I was too selfish to let her be. My soul painfully begged for her. The taste of her lips was none like any other. The feeling of her fingers digging into myThe second townLeiyaAfter another exhausting two days in the forest, we made it into the second town. I was tired of eating fish or bread, and I couldn't wait to lay my tongue on something hot and spicy. Raslin's men walked on each side of my carriage as we walked into the rowdy town. Unlike the first strange place, there was a healthy number of people in the streets and in the buildings. Men, women and children went about their daily activities. As we made our way through the buildings, I wondered how I was going to begin or where I was going to start asking from. I was going to worry about that later. The first thing I needed to do was eat. I stuck my head out of my carriage, peeking the attention of the guard on my left. “Let's stop for some food.” I yelled at him. He nodded before yelling the same thing to the others. We moved for a few more minutes before coming to a stop, only to resume again. I assumed they were asking the people for directions.
The second town Leiya The name Willis sounded strange to me, but I was too uninterested to care. “Thank you for your kind offer,” I said calmly, picking up the fifth bowl of broth. "But I do not need your gesture.” I handed it back to the friendly server that still stood by our table. She reluctantly took it from me, looking at him for a moment before returning her gaze to me. “I apologize if I may have offended you with my kindness, my lady.” He tried a subtle tone with me, emphasizing on the word ‘kindness’, hoping I would feel guilty. It only irritated me even more. "Listen, Willis,” I called in a square tone. I had had enough of him. "My men and I, have traveled a very far distance, searching for my sister and her husband,” I leaned into the table, saying each word slowly. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the server was also listening very intently. “So if you
The second town Leiya I noticed the expression in Willis's eyes when he called out her name. It was one of disgust, even hate. “Yes,” I muttered. “That's my sister, and her husband Xerian.” I wasn't sure but it looked like I caught him rolling his eyes. “And you said they left that same night?” I kept my eyes on Willis while I asked the pretty server. “Yes,” she replied casually. "I helped take her husband to Willis's home.” The high tone she used to narrate the memory showed she was also surprised. “By sunrise, I went to check if they were okay, but they were gone.” I looked long and hard at the young man sitting across from me. He had his eyes on the table. Whatever was the reason behind Nayla and a sick Xerian leaving in the thick of night, I knew he had something to do with it. “Willis,” I called. He immediately looked up at me. He wasn't expecting his name to be
The second townLeiya “You're going to cooperate with my men and not make a sound, okay?”I whispered to him. He nodded hurriedly. I placed the payment for the meal on the table as I stood up. The two men sitting beside Willis grabbed him by the arms. He let out a quiet whimper, staying quiet as I instructed. The moment I walked out the door, I felt the cold breeze hit my nostrils. I immediately remembered being forced into the cold after watching my parents murdered. I couldn't do anything to Degar them. Willis was just like Degar. They were evil monsters and I wasn't going to let him go free. I turned to Cizer, one of Raslin's men, who stood beside me. “Get us two rooms for the night at an inn and meet us back here.”He nodded before vanishing in search of an inn. I definitely was going to spend another night in the forest. When he was gone, I turned to Willis who was still in the right hold of my two strong guards.“Willis,” I called casually. “Where do
The third townLeiyaWatching Willis lose his manhood was a gruesome sight but it was satisfying to watch. Kamael held a thick cloth over the bleeding while Yahn untied his hands and legs. The moment he was free, he clutched the cloth to what used to be his penis, grunting in excruciating pain with tears rolling down his face. My guards and I left him to his predicament, meeting up with Cizer who had gotten us rooms at an inn as I instructed. It wasn't much of a good night but it was better than sleeping in my carriage. By sunrise, the guards were already waiting by my carriage and the horses. “We should take some bread and meat for the road.” They all nodded in agreement. We made our way out of the town, stopping at the tavern from the night before for some food. There was no sign of Willis which gave me some satisfaction. Cizer was the one to get the items. Thankfully, he didn't take long. After handing the items to me, he went ahead to mount his horse. In a
The third townLeiyaI stared at the strange looking woman with a skeptical gaze. I was both worried and amused. I had never seen her before, but she pointed me out without hesitation. “You're correct,” I mumbled while I slowly rose to my feet. All three men got up with me, their eyes fixated on her, ready to act if she acted strangely.“Who are you?” I asked with my eyes on her. “You can call me Frai,” she replied with a faint smile. “Do you mind?” she gestured towards the empty space beside Yahn. "I don't have a waist as strong as you young ones.”“Of course,” I muttered with a quick nod. “Please sit.”I glanced at the guards, informing them to be at ease. She seemed like a trail woman, there wasn't much harm she was going to be able to do. A moment later, we were all seated at the table, the old woman seated across from me. “I'll be quick with what I have to say,” she began after a light clearing of her throat. "There isn't much time l
The fourth townLeiyaAll through the night, I was tossing and turning, unable to successfully sleep. My mind wandered to every possible scenario that my sister and her husband could be in at the moment. I couldn't think of any safe or happy scenario. They were all bad ones. My mind wasn't settled. There was a sickening feeling at the bottom of my stomach. I knew something was wrong and I needed to act fast. As soon as the sun peeked its head through the clouds, I sprung to my feet. There was no use forcing what wasn't going to come. I opened the door to find my guards standing right outside. “Good,” I voiced out with a satisfied nod. “Let's get going.”They all nodded before going with me. Cizer walked before me, Kamael beside me and Yahn behind me. The town was empty and quiet when we stepped out of the inn. Its residents were still in deep slumber. The sun had barely risen and some parts of the sky was still dark, but I was too impatient, mostly worried, to
The forth town Leiya “You all look really hungry.” he said with a light chuckle. “You have no idea,” I replied with a giggle under my breath. He has this aura that made it hard to keep a straight face when I looked at him. "Four plates of your finest meal please.” He replied to my request with a small nod before walking away. While he was gone, my eyes scanned everywhere around us. The place looked calm. Everyone seemed to be focused on their business, and there was no shabby old woman or scheming young man in sight. I knew there was no luck this time, I was going to fish it out myself. The charming young man returned a few minutes later with the meal as instructed. Broth, as always, very soft bread with some cheese, properly cooked meat and cups of the excitement drink. It was a whole buffet. We all eyed our plates with hungry eyes while we watched him serve. “Enjoy your meal.” He beamed
Valinor Nayla After Leiya left, it took a few more days for Xerian and I to completely settle back into our previous life as prince and princess of Valinor. To announce the returning of his only son and future king, the royal informat was sent to every corner in the entire kingdom. The night we returned, a big fire was lit in the town square. There was loud singing and vigorous dancing. By the next day, King Raslin threw a large feast for the entire kingdom. The castle gates were opened for everyone, both adults and children, to come welcome us. Xerian and I sat on the royal table in the courtroom, waving and smiling to everyone who came. And gifts. The people brought a lot of gifts. From fruits, to vegetables, to meat, to wine, our table was filled with them all. The day after that, the king threw another feast to celebrate our arrival. This time it was not open to the public, only other royals were invited. Kings, queens and their children from far and wide honored his invitati
Kaltain LeiyaHelion immediately let go of me. The fear in Calin's eyes showed he was being completely honest. Kaltain was supposed to be safe. Completely safe. “The forcefield," Helion mumbled in horror. “It's weak, I haven't done the ritual since the last time." My head instantly connected the dots together. Shortly after he performed the ritual, I got myself in trouble with Lyle. He was probably occupied with trying to find me and handle matters of the kingdom. When he finally found me, I left again shortly after.m, taking him in another hunt for me. Kaltain was under attack and it was my fault. Helion turned to me, gripping my shoulders with fear in his eyes. “Go to your chambers and wait for me.” It was more of a warning than an instruction. "No,” I shook my shoulders out of his grip. “Kaltain is also my kingdom.” I mumbled. "I would rather die by your side than hide in my chambers like a coward.”“Leiya," he growled in frustration, running his
Kaltain NaylaXerian made a shocking recovery after a few days. He was able to completely talk audibly, eat without being fed, and walk perfectly fine by himself. He no longer felt the excruciating pain in his stomach when he laughed or coughed. He was also looking more like himself. His cheeks were fuller, his skin was brighter and his eyes were lighter, devoid of pain, worry or anxiety. I could say he was almost like his former self. We were now ready to return to Valinor. He had been looking forward to it everyday since we spoke about it, even happier when I insisted I would leave with him. Which meant I had to speak to my sister about it. Helion was the only one aware I was also leaving. The night before Xerian and I were to leave, I was feeling severe anxiety talking to Leiya about it. Helion overheard my concerns and convinced me to be honest with her. Him and I had formed some sort of relationship while I was at his castle, and I couldn't believe he was the same
Kaltain LeiyaI impatiently walked through the halls in search of Helion. The overwhelming feeling to kiss him passionately grew even worse with each step I took. I was just stepping out of the dinning area when I ran into Calin. The first thing he did was to lower his head in a bow. My jaw almost dropped. “Your majesty." He muttered, before lifting his eyes to meet mine. I was shocked. Shock didn't express it enough, I couldn't believe my eyes. I could swear it was a different person who simply looked like Calin. Calin hated me. Even though he called out Helion's lies about my sister, he did it for his selfish reasons. He did it to get rude of me, and he did. He had no respect for me at all, and now, out of the deep ocean blues, he bowed and referred to me as a royal. With disbelief in my eyes and voice, I tried not to stutter as I spoke. “Have you any idea where his majesty, King Helion, May be?”He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it almost immediat
Kaltain Leiya There was worry behind my sister's eyes when she asked to see the prince of Valinor. I still couldn't believe she was married. It felt strange to refer to him as her husband. Even though she was older than twelve, she was still very young, barely even sixteen. But it was obvious she loved him deeply. I gave her a small nod before turning to the maid who did the strands behind my gown. “Have you any idea where the Prince of Valinor lies?" "Yes, your majesty,” she muttered calmly. "I can take your majesty there.” Not too long after that, we made our way through a flight of stairs, following behind the maid who led us to where Xerian was. We walked for a few minutes before she stopped before a door. The guards pushed the doors open after lowering their heads to acknowledge our presence. Nayla ran up from behind me when she noticed the prince on the bed. I smiled inwardly as I watched her run to his side, nervously looking over him. “Xerian?"
KaltainLeiyaThe familiar walls of the Kaltain castle , the place I had grown to call home, brought tears of joy to my eyes. Helion had to make two more trips after taking Xerian away. He first took Nayla and I, before going back to get Kamael and Cizer. He could only transport himself with two other people.The moment he took my hand, I closed my eyes. When I smelt cleaner and better air, I opened them to find myself back in my room. A smile formed on my lips. I had always dreamed Nayla would sit on my bed, listening to the stories I had to tell, and now she actually was in the room, not as a dream or a thought, but actually standing beside me. I felt a kiss on the side of my head. “Welcome back home." Helion whispered with a smile. In a heartbeat, he was gone. When he left, I noticed the maids that stood by the end of the bed. They lowered their heads when we appeared before them. “They're here for our baths.”I informed Nayla as her excited eyes sc
Archurl Leiya The moment I whispered his name, he dropped the guard to the floor. The cell doors instantly disappeared and I walked right through. His eyes shone with happiness, his voice the most welcoming I had ever heard. “My beautiful Leiya.” I launched myself into his arms. I was just reunited with my sister and now the man, who snatched my heart like the demon that he was, found us just in time. It felt so surreal. Like a dream, like the fairytales you read in a book, except it was real. It was my life and it was happening to me. “I am so sorry for letting you go again," I heard his shaky voice through my sobs. He gently pulled me away, staring deeply into my soul. “I would never do that again." I was too stunned to speak. My heart was going through a rollercoaster of emotions but I knew, I was just as elated to see him. I quietly nodded, with a smile on my face. One of relief and tenderness. Looking into his eyes, all I could think about was how much I had
Archurl Leiya The moment I was thrown into the cell, she flung herself into my arms. Our entire bodies shuddered as we cried uncontrollably, clinging onto each other as if for dear life. Just when I had lost all hope, just when I thought my mother's spirit had abandoned me, all the while she was leading me to her. To Nayla. The emptiness around us didn't matter anymore. Our injuries didn't matter anymore. The bodily pain we felt, we couldn't feel them anymore. The moment took it all away. The unrequited joy of finally being together was enough healing magic for us. It was all the healing we needed, for our souls and for our bodies. We cried and cried. There was so much to say, so much to express, so many feelings all at once, but all that came were tears. The journey that seemed almost impossible, that we had both given up on, it was all worth it. We finally got the courage to let go. We pulled back slightly, just enough to get another glimpse of each other's
ArchurlLeiyaMy eyes gradually opened. The first thing they noticed was the movement of the rocky road. It took me a moment to notice I was being carried over a man's shoulder with a rope tied around my hands and legs. One by one, my brain began to piece together the last scenes I witnessed before I passed out. The sight of Yahn's lifeless body lying in a pool of his blood flashed before my eyes. My heart sank. I began to feel all the bitter emotions afresh. I hastily looked around me in search of the others. I was held firmly, my movements were restricted to just seeing in front of me. I tried to look over my shoulder. As soon as I tried, I felt a sharp horrible muscle pain. I didn't need to be told to look ahead of me. “Put me down!”I demanded with a loud yell, banging my tied fists against his back. I banged and banged, trying to get him to react, but I was getting the wrong attention. Just then, I realized I was being carried through a crowd of amused spe