'May you rot in hell.' With those words, i dash out of the room, took a horse and rode to the woods.
The sun had already set king ago. It was dark but I could still see because the bright moon light that illuminated the forest.
I ran like my life depended on it and just like I hoped, Silas was still there, standing at the edge of the cliff, gazing upon the starry sky.
I approach him breathlessly, panting heavily, 'Silas?'
He swiveled to face me, smiling warmly, 'You have made it.' He look up, 'There is only one star, does that mean you have finally defeated the trickster? I feel inclined to say you have outdone yourself but I can't seem to bring myself to. I do wonder why though.'
'What is going on Silas?' I asked, closing the distance between us. When I touched him, he felt cold like the ocean. I know what that means.
I pushed back the tears threatening to fall and meet his gaze with a reassuring smile, 'I know that I cannot stop you from leaving but that does not mean I won't be waiting, I will wait for you Silas and I want you to return. However long it takes, will you come back to me?' I asked expectantly.
He looked away, 'I do not wish to make any promises I might not be able to fulfill. Do not wait for me Aria.'
It felt like someone had stabbed me and twisted the knife. I swallow a huge lump, breath shivering, 'I do not care, I will wait for you no matter what, just please, if even there was a little chance that you …That your heart was swayed by me, even if it was for a brief moment, please Silas, come back to me. I love you.'
His unemotional gaze instantly became red, he leaned, kissing me passionately. We joined noses.
Silas chuckled, gently caressing my cheek, 'I have been trying to avoid it, to hide it but …' Hesitantly, he took hold of my hand, pressing it against his chest, 'There are some words that cannot he spoken, only felt. Now listen …'
I closed my eyes. Faintly, I felt a 'thump' and then a second one, and then the third, and then came heartbeats like drum.
I open my eyes, sharply looking up at Silas with a baffled expression.
He chuckled, 'When a dragon's heart beats for his keeper, they both become cursed. No matter how much I want to return to you, I don't think I will be able to. I am so sorry Aria and I …' He brings his head and kissed me again.
'I love you.' The words rushed out of his mouth as if he had forced them out of him. He finally relaxed, saying in a more sincere tone, 'I love you Aria. I love you.'
As soon as the words 'I love you' escaped Silas's lips, his body started glowing, slowly turning transparent. I could no longer feel him, I could only see and hear him which broke my heart into a thousand pieces.
I want to hug him and kiss him. I want to spend the rest of eternity with him but, how can my destiny be so bitter?
He fixed me with a worried gaze, 'Don't wait for me.' And then, at the blink of an eye, he disappeared.
I gasp shockingly, the tears I kept pent up during our conversation roll down my cheeks. I could only sob quietly; the tears choked the screams that wanted to escape. I stood there all night unable to do anything and in the next morning, I returned to the castle.
With a heavy heart, I called lord Ayke, 'Inform the council that the king …The king had, he is…' The words refused to come out of me, I had to force them out 'The king is gone. He is gone.'
A YEAR LATER…
After the disappearance of King Silas, Queen Aria took control. At first, it was very challenging for her to handle the kingdom but despite the endless pressure she received from the council, she managed to emerge victorious and prove herself worthy enough to rule the kingdom.
Many Lords offered to take her hand in marriage but Aria respectfully declined their offers.
A queen does not necessarily need a king.
Despite all her efforts to avoid marriage, Lord Ayke managed to convince her into an alliance with the crown Prince of kingdom Heiya. The only reason why she accepted the proposal was because she had always believed a part of her was Heiyan and marrying the crown Prince will finally eradicate all rivalry between the two kingdoms.
Her heart will never stop beating for Silas but she is no longer a nameless slave, she is now the queen of an entire kingdom. The responsibilities bestowed upon her compelled her to make this decision. Her only wish is that wherever Silas is, he will understand why she made such a decision.
The wedding day.
Kings and queens from all four kingdoms gathered together at the great hall for the promising Union between me and the crown Prince of Heiya. I had never met the man before but I heard good things about him. Mostly, he is said to be kind and a skilled leader; just who kingdom Rheiss needs to be their next leader.
I donned a white corset dress, hair tied in a polished bun. We waited for a while and when the crown Prince was a no-show because he had 'pressing' matters to attend to. I mean what could be more important than his wedding? But I actually do not care, he can do whatever he wants as will I.
The marriage was completed without his presence. I returned to my chamber, getting dressed to spend the wedding night with my new husband.
Sienna rushed in, giggling, 'Your highness, I just saw your husband and I swear in the name of Heiyan gods, he is otherworldly. He is very handsome. Do forgive me.'
Seeing how she couldn't contain her excitement got me worried
A man with good looks can be quiet troublesome.
After getting ready, the maids escorted me to his door. Sienna knocked, opened the door for me and when I stepped in, she closed it.
My new husband is seated, scribbling something down on a paper.
The first thing I noticed is his long dark hair he kept clean and trim. He wore it in a messy bun, he looks quiet concentrated on what he is doing but tonight is our wedding night, I am not exactly eager to spend it with him but showing that he cared even a little bit would feel respectful to me.
I cleared my throat, 'What might you be doing?'
He paused for a moment, got to his feet and slowly circled around to face me.
My eyes took stock of his angelic face, his big enigmatic grey eyes, his rosy lips and the dominating aura he exuded. His mere presence before me did nothing but remind me of Silas.
He smiled brightly, 'Forgive me, I got carried away and if it felt disrespectful, please do forgive me. The name is Haru, your husband.'
'I know your name.' I responded sternly, 'You know why I am here. In order for our people to finally let go of their rivalry we must give them proof that this union will be prosperous for the entire kingdom and for that to happen, I must have a child with you. I feel compelled to do this as a part of my responsibility so I urge you not to think anything of it. We will spend the night together once every week till I conceive and when I do, we will never share a room again till I am ready to have another child with you.'
Haru listened attentively.
I continue, 'I can only have five children with you and that will be enough. Do not expect me to love you either, I don't believe in love. If you understand, I suggest we get this over with.'
Haru nodded his understanding. He reluctantly inched closer. I felt my heart skip a beat when our eyes locked.
Slowly, he started leaning towards me and when our lips finally touched, he felt too familiar. He pulled away nervously, 'I feel like this is all happening way too fast. Should we not get to know each other first?'
I had yearned for this touch for a year. How can this man remind me so much about Silas. I need to confirm my suspicions.
Without giving him a chance to react, I pulled him by the collar, pressing my lips against his soft ones. Haru stiffened for a brief moment before he relaxed and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. We kissed deeply, passionately, our tongues crashing against each other's.
My hand was moving on its own, exploring Haru's fine body.
I fumbled, taking his shirt off and when I did, we finally pulled away to catch our breaths.
Something peculiar caught my eyes, there is a mark on Haru's chest, the same mark Silas had when I stabbed him. There are just too many similarities for this to be a coincidence.
I look at Haru with shock, 'Silas?'
He chuckled warmly, leaning to whisper in my ear, 'It's no longer Silas, the name is Haru.'
'What are you …' Only then did it hit me like an arrow in the gut.
When a dragon takes his true form, he can never return to his original human body again, but that doesn't mean he cannot take another form.
Silas said he would not return, not that he can't.
If a dragon's heart beats for his dragon keeper, they will be cursed. One will forget the existence of the other while one will live with the burden of remembering the other.
This man standing in front of me is another version of Silas, he can't remember me because of the curse but if fate brought him back to me, there must be a good reason behind it.
'Haru, do you believe in destiny?' I asked him expectantly.
He paused for moment to think and then, he smiled in such a warm way that his entire face brightened with a bewitching glow. He open his mouth to respond '….