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

Chapter twenty one

"So you were right, she did come back," said General Marcellus.

"And you didn't believe it," Ciaran said triumphantly.

"How did she even get in and out of the palace without the guards noticing her?" Marcellus wondered.

"I was interested too, but she didn't tell me," replied Ciaran.

"What did she say when she came back?" Marcellus asked.

"That I can't expect her not to try to escape when I'm holding her here against her free will," Ciaran replied.

"Your Highness. General Marcellus." one of the soldiers that General Marcellus had sent to find Amaya and bring her back came to them. They just came back. "You should see this ." He handed them a book bound in red leather. "We found it in the inn where the terrible tragedy happened. Look who the last guests were."

Ciaran turned to the last page covered and sighed deeply.

⸸

"Miss Amaya, it's time for you to get ready for dinner with the royal family." Mareena gently woke her up.

Amaya lazily opened her eyes. "Do I have to?" she said in a small voice. "Let His Highness say that I do not feel well. He can lie one more time."

"Please, miss, you have to get up," Mareena begged her.

"For you, Mareena, I will," Amaya said, getting up from the bed reluctantly.

It was Mareena's responsibility to outwardly tame Amaya's wildness, caused by her background and the kingdom in which she grew up. Amaya let her. She didn't fight back. She loved what miracles she could do with her. After she finished with her, she often didn't recognize herself in the mirror. She was a hunter and a warrior and Mareena was able to turn her into a princess.

She dressed her in a black sumptuous dress embroidered with silver threads and decorated with pearls. She slipped a black glass crown into her hair.

As Amaya looked at herself in the mirror, she felt torn between the persons that made up her entire being. She wanted to be all of them at once.

"I'm glad you're back, miss," Mareena told her.

"I'm glad too, I'm just not sure if Prince Ciaran is as well," said Amaya.

"His Highness is only unhappy because you ran away," Mareena replied. "He likes you, but you're going to have to earn his trust back."

Prince Ciaran and General Marcellus were waiting for her in the reception lounge. Mathias was also sitting there with them. He and the prince stared at each other. It was a silent war without words or shouting.

Amaya finally showed herself to them. Ciaran and Mathias looked at her with a sparkle in their eyes. Mathias hugged her and she hugged him back.

"You look stunning," he told her.

"Thank you." she gave him a sweet smile.

"You look like an evil queen from a fairy tale," Ciaran told her.

Amaya laughed. She laughed heartily. "Maybe it is on purpose," she said.

"Then you did it perfectly," said Ciaran.

"Can we go to dinner?" Amaya said. "I'm quite hungry."

"We still have time," said Ciaran. "I want to ask you something, Amaya."

Amaya didn't like tone of his voice. That sounded serious.

"A couple of corpses were found in an inn three days' journey from here."