Blessed by the Gods (Gods & Dark Creatures Book 1)

Chapter twenty

Two days before the expected wedding, King Mael and all of Prince Ciaran's siblings arrived in Hiraeth. News of Amaya's escape had reached him, and he wanted to verify their truth.

"Where is your bride?" the king asked his son.

"She is in her chambers. She hasn't been feeling well for the last few days." Ciaran replied.

"Words have reached me that she has escaped," said the king, trying to catch Ciaran in a lie.

"That's a lie," said Ciaran. "I can assure you that she will stand by my side in the Sun Temple."

"May I see her?" demanded the king.

"She doesn't feel well," Ciaran snapped.

"She is blessed by the gods, after all."

"She is blessed by the gods, not invulnerable. She is lying in her bed and resting. You want her to be fine on her wedding day, don't you?'

This time the prince succeeded. The king turned and let it to blown away by the breeze. However, he believed he had won and Amaya was truly gone. He still had plenty of time to prove his failure. He was sure that Ciaran was only delaying the inevitable.

Everyone in the palace who knew the truth received their orders. No one was allowed to reveal that Amaya had escaped. It was a secret they had to keep.

However, Mareena had to play the biggest show. Ever since Amaya left she had to walk into her rooms every morning as if she were still there. She had to stick to the traditional schedule. If anyone asked about her, she had to stick to the lie he made up - Amaya was not feeling well and was resting. No one is allowed to visit her. Even the guards had orders not to let anyone in.

"Why are you keeping your bride such a secret, Ciaran?" asked his sister Neila. "I brought her a gift, but the guards outside her door sent me away."

"Amaya is not feeling well," said Ciaran. "If you want, I'll give her your gift."

"I would like to give it to her myself. To get to know her a little," said Neila. "She'll be part of the family now, after all."

"She's not well enough to stand listening to you all the time. Sorry, sister, but you can often be annoying when you open your mouth. I don't want to scare her," Ciaran said.

"You're not stupid. Surely you know about the fact that they say she ran away," Neila told him.

"So you just came to find out if the rumors are true?"

"You know you've always been my favorite brother? You are different from the rest of us. Maybe it's because you grew up here." she gave him a fleeting smile. "I hope you're telling the truth because I don't want to watch you die."

Ciaran believed that Amaya would return, but with each passing day, his hope faded. He spent the nights in her bedroom, in her bed. Her scent on the pillow was fading. Maybe she was already gone and he was just imagining her. He lay there and dreamed that when he opened his eyes, she would be there. She will lie next to him and look up at him with her beautiful earth-colored eyes. He imagined how the balcony door would open. A fresh night breeze enters and she materializes from the moonlight.

But that never happened.

The morning came. He woke up. He was alone.

She was far away.

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It was the last day before the wedding and Amaya was still gone. Ciaran was already thinking about what he would say if she won't come back. He had prepared the perfect lie about her being kidnapped. However, he hoped that that possibility would not come to pass.