CHAPTER 2
"Where are you going, Talia?" I jumped a bit at my mama's sudden question.
I've decided. I'm going to meet him today. I want to know what he wants from me.
I was sneaking out and thought I'm going to make a great excuse if ever I get caught, and now…
"I-I'm heading to the river. I'll go swimming." I stammered at my words. I'm nervous and scared, but I don't want them to worry about me. I will keep myself from any harm… I'll use my Veta.
"This early, huh? And what are you going to do there? Remember Talia, you must be careful. You can't stray in the forest all by yourself. Danger might be lurking behind the shadows and might kill you in a blink." Mama said and put her hands on her waist. That gesture of her is when she's getting angry.
"B-but I won't be going there by myself." I said and walked through the door.
"Who's going with you then?" she probed.
"Salli" I answered.
"Hey there young lady…You don't know how to ride her!" she shouted but I didn't listen. I ran towards the barn and untied Salli's rope. I pulled myself up and suddenly regretted why I wore this dress. I maneuvered Salli unto the gates and into the wilderness of the forest. The weather's quite nice today. It's sunny and the cold wind makes trees dance to its rhythm and leaves falls like rain into the ground. Salli stopped and brought me right into the river. I hopped off her and tied her in a nearby tree. I looked around but there's no sign of anyone here. As I walked towards the river my heart started beating loudly as my hands started trembling. Today was just like another fairytales. I hopped on some stones until I reached the huge stone I used to sit in. I breathed deep and sat down. The wind blew my hair as I looked at my hands. My Veta. It's fire.
I lifted my hands higher and swirled it, both in different directions. I closed my eyes and moved my hands in different motions. I want to learn how to control it, to protect myself and my family. I fasten my movements until I felt a comforting warmth on my hands. I opened my eyes and felt happy when I saw a small flame on my palms. They were bright and they danced perfectly with of the wind. I brought my hands closer to my face to see it clearly but a thunder banged making me jumped up of my feet. I looked up but the skies were bright, no signs of darkness. I looked at my hands and the flames were gone.
"Enjoying yourself with your useless little flame?" a dark cold voice startled me making me fall off the rock and straight into the cold gushing water.
I heard him chuckled and before I could do anything to help myself, I was magically lifted off the water to the ground.
Shivering with the coldness, I stood there and in front of me is the devil prince with his menacing look. I gritted my teeth in anger and wished if only I know how to use my Veta, he'd be roasting his own flesh with my fire.
"You showed up, little lady." He grinned and raised one of his brows.
My blood's just boiling up and it makes me wanna burn him alive!!
"What do you want?" I reprimanded, controlling the last piece of my thinning temper.
He shifted a bit and lowered his head to level our eyes. This time, he looked more serious and eviler. His dark aura consumed the place and even of the skies were bright, you'll feel the darkness slowly getting into you.
I stepped back as my knees wobbled like a jelly. My heart's beating loudly and dang those eyes!
"Marry me."
My jaw dropped open. Stunned by what he said, I managed to laugh. This devil is outrageous!
"You want your father back?" and with that, I was taken aback.
He smirked evilly and stood up straight.
"If you want your father back, marry me. If not, he'll die anyway, but it's your decision to make. To see him before it happens or to see him after too, when you're gone." He mercilessly said.
My heart ached so bad as I struggled to breathe. Tears fell on the sides of my eyes as the thought of my father dying, alone. My father. I closed my eyes and looked down. Why is everything seeming so surreal right now? In just a blink of an eye, my life has turned into a distressful fairytale like the ones I used to read before. Why is this happening to me?
"I leave you up till tomorrow, same time. I need your decision, you choose, or die." He said before leaving me confounded.
Thunder banged and lightning struck the sky. The once bright blue sky turned gloomy and dark. Rain started pouring heavily as the wind whispers coldness into my spines. I hurried back to Salli as she started whining. I untied her rope and rode her back to the house. Even with the coldness of the wind, my warm tears flooded my eyes as I think about my father. I have to save my father or else no one would, and I will never get to see him forever until he dies. When I arrived, I ran fast to my room to avoid my mama. I locked the doors and sat on the floor and cried. What am I gonna do? The prince himself wanted me to marry him, if I say no, he'll kill me and my father, if I say yes… W-what will he do to me, and to my family? To my father?
I spent my whole night thinking. A whole night crying. Is this how the magical world goes? Life's always been hard, but not as difficult and dangerous like this world. I don't know what I'm I going to do anymore...
I woke up early the next morning. I'm still afraid of what might happen. I'm still not sure about my decision. I've been thinking so hard last night about it, and I don't know if my plan would really work.
I tied Salli to the same tree like yesterday. It's still 5 o'clock in the morning and the sun was barely down rising. Wearing my mama's cardigan and a pink lacey dress, I made my way near the river. I gripped onto my cardigan tightly as the cold wind blew making me shiver. The forest was peaceful as some of the animals' just starting their day with me here. The calm gushing cold water sounds relaxing even to my troubled and confused mind. I sighed and looked up the sky. Why am I in this kind of life? I want to live a normal life, no magic.
"Good morning, little lady." I looked at my back when I heard him.
My jaw dropped when I finally saw him. Wearing casual clothes and boots, he walked towards me with a smirk. His hair slightly disheveled and on his lip, a silver metal piercing shining with the warm morning rays of the sun. I-is he the devil prince? Today, he looked like a womanizer prince than a devil prince. But of course, as what they say, looks can be deceiving.
"I'll marry you." I said.
See? This is my plan. I'll marry him and then kill him when I have the right time, if not, I'd still find a way to do so.
"Okay" he said and stepped closer.
My breath hitched when he lowered his head so close to my face until our nose touched. I'm only leveled on his shoulder and I looked like a little kid compared to him.
"W-what are you doing?" I nervously asked. He looked at me straight in the eye and smiled. This time, it was different.
"Is that a promise?" he asked.
I swallowed hard as my heart banged against my chest. This is the most difficult decision I've ever made in my entire life, to marry him, without even my family knowing, without even my mama's consent. But I'll stick to my plan, for papa.
I closed my eyes when I felt my tears threatening to fall any minute now. I sighed heavily…
"That's a promise." I said and before I could open my eyes, I felt a warm kiss on my lips.
I froze when I felt it. My first kiss. I felt a warm breeze dancing around us. Leaves were falling fast and all I can hear was my heartbeat. The surrounding glowed with green magical fires spiralling around us. Seconds later, he stepped back and the fires disappeared into thin air.
"Promised sealed. You cannot break it, if you do, it's better if you said no, a life for a promise, that's the cause." He said as my tears finally made its way down.
"A promise." I said.
"Come with me." He said so I opened my eyes.
He took my hand and pulled my closer to his body and underneath his cloak. His cloak? He jumped up and I knew we were somewhere far from my home.
"Where are we? What's this place?" I started panicking as I looked around.
It looked like a massively huge cave full of red rocks, diamonds, crystals, and other sparkly rocks. Esshh, magical world has its beauty, huh?
"This is my home." He said and pulled me into a huge double door with him. He changed that fast. His now wearing a black elegant cloak and his face changed a bit. His piercing was gone and he now have this crescent tattoo on the right side of his neck.
"W-what? Wait!" I protested but he did not listen.
"You're staying here." He said and stopped.
My eyes widened and I stopped. What did he say?!
"No. I'm not staying here!" I said in a firm voice.
He slowly looked back at me with his usual evil grin.
"I promised to marry you but I never said I'd live with you!" I gritted my teeth.
He laughed and shook his head.
"And besides, I've never dreamt to live with someone so old." I said and with that he stopped laughing and frowned.
"Old? I am not that old as you think, Talia." He said and turned his back from me.
Long huge tables full of chaotic Firenes welcomed us. The sound of their voices echoed along the huge beautiful cave contrary to the people living in it.
"Firenes!! Your prince has returned! And with his bride he promised you!" An old Firenes announced. Young and old turned their heads towards us. They're all wearing a black cloak and are all creepy looking firenes.
"I came back! Your prince will soon become your king! Your loyalty is a must if you want your lives spared from this living hell." Damiro raised his hand and the whole place started burning. Fires everywhere. His subjects bowed down and said their pledge and raise their hands with him.
As I stood there watching them, I felt an excruciating pain on my hands. I looked down at it and my eyes widened when I saw how it burned. My hands trembled in pain and my body numbed.
"W-what's happening to me?" my voice broke and my tears fell.
Damiro turned to me and caught me just in time when my knees gave up. My vision became dizzy and so blurry. I can't hear anything except for my frantic heartbeat.
Damiro scoped me up and I heard someone whispered something...
"The prophecy and the child. It has begun."