It has been centuries since Aithne has stepped on the land of marked. She has been an orphan who has nothing to lose, but being unknown to the books of shifters, her life was put at stake and so she makes herself inconspicuous, hiding all her life...
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CHAPTER 21
"What are they?"
Sitting on the flat rock we both rest as we watch across the lake. The scorching sun was blazing. I can literally see the smoke from the solid surface. It was after a few minutes when I summoned some food for Astrid, she was thankful and until now she's still trying to finish a full meal of chicken, and I found out that her human counterpart can only take a few of it. The human got easily full.
Under the shade of a zestful tree we rested until Astrid finally got her energy back. She talked about her unfortunate journey of life. Her bad past. Her beloved man, a general warrior who lead thousands of soldiers for war and she was then a commoner who intruded a private execution and was prisoned for voicing out her opinion, it was the start of their meeting. Soon, she joined apprenticeship, where the scholars were chosen to serve the royals, until she became one of the priestesses of a goddess.
Years later they met again. They always encounter each other accidentally, without recognizing each other. They met under different circumstances until her beloved man finally showed his interest to her. She knows it was forbidden. She was a priestess that served god, she must offer her life serving and following their oath but she fell in love. For years they kept their relationship hidden, she loved the warrior but she never once admitted it through words for she fears for their life. She knows the authorities would kill them.
It was one day when her beloved traveled for war. For months she waited. She knows her beloved will come back, but the weeks of his arrival a crime happened. Astrid was harassed by the chief of congressmen who fancy and lust over her. The man was her stalker she met before her beloved. She was blackmailed by the chief about their forbidden relationship, but she never backed down and so he forced her. That day a part of her was stolen and broke.
Priestesses must maintain their virtue intact until death, an oath they take on their ceremonial but hers was forcefully taken. The goddess found out about it and accused her of being a strumpet. She was still grieving that time, shocked and traumatized. She tried defending herself but no one listened because she was a mere priestess. She was then announced to be executed in the capital. To shame her, and condemn her ill doings against their oath. She fears for her life, of not seeing his beloved, that he would think lowly of her. She fears she will lose him knowing someone has taken her virtue instead of him. So she accepted her destiny instead of trying to escape. On that same day, she was executed in front of people, chanting for her death. Just before she was beheaded, she heard the loud horn of the soldiers, announcing the arrival of her beloved and his troops. She died without seeing him but at least she knows he came back, for her, just like he promised.
