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

Chapter twenty six

They arrived in Miramor. Amaya looked out of the carriage at the approaching city. The blue roofs of buildings emerged from the horizon. The white facades of the buildings shone in the sunlight. Both she and Ciaran were nervous. They had no idea why the king had summoned them and General Adrien hadn't told them. However, it did not bode well.

Amaya tried to calm herself by at least looking at the changing landscape. She looked far beyond the horizon. She tapped her foot nervously.

"Everything will be fine, Amaya," Ciaran assured her. "You will see."

However, what she saw in the port was not good at all, it was not at all okay. Ships with blue flags.

"Ciaran," the words stucked in her throat. "Is King Damon here?"

"What?" Ciaran was horrified.

Amaya pointed to the ships in the harbor. Blue flags fluttered in the wind. Ciaran remembered what King Edric had said, Deira and the Amorite negotiate for peace. Whatever the reason for their presence in Miramor, he knew it was not good.

"Everything will be fine," Ciaran repeated, though he didn't believe the words himself.

They didn't even get a chance to recover from their arrival and rest after a long journey. Immediately after their arrival, the king summoned them. As they walked through the corridors of the palace to him, they passed Amorite soldiers. Amaya knew many of them personally. They watched in surprise as she walked alongside Prince Ciaran. She didn't look like a prisoner.

King Mael sat on his magnificent throne and, as always, Crown Prince Enzo stood by his side. When their eyes met Amaya saw hurt pride in his eyes. Prince Ciaran bowed to his king, but Amaya stood straight, her head proudly held high.

"You must bow before the king, witch." King Mael said with venom on his tongue.

"You are not my king, and for that reason, I would never kneel before you."

The king nodded to one of the guards and he brought Amaya to her knees. Ciaran immediately started to defend her, but the guards stopped him.

"You will soon have the opportunity to bow before your king, witch," said King Mael. "Part of the peace agreement between Deira and the Amorite is that you return to King Damon."

"No!" cried Prince Ciaran. "You cannot."

"I am the king," his father objected. "I can do anything."

"She is my rightful wife and the princess of Deira," Prince Ciaran countered.

"That no longer applies from now on. She will go back to where you took her from and you will be silent," ordered the king.

"Never," argued Prince Ciaran.

"Or I will declare you a traitor to your own kingdom and all the people who support you as well. You will end up on the gallows and your beloved Hiraeth will fall." suggested the king. "However, she will return to Amorite anyway."

Prince Ciaran fell silent and stopped fighting. He didn't even think. He didn't hesitate. Amaya felt something crack in her chest. She didn't fight either. After all, she will not fight for something that only she herself will fight for. He made his decision.

"You are allowed to leave," said the king.

Amaya rose to her feet and left the throne room. On the way out, she bumped into Prince Ciaran with her shoulder. She was upset, disappointed, sad.

"You give up real quick," she told him with venom on her tongue.

Ciaran caught up with her and grabbed her wrist. "Amaya, wait."

Amaya swung at him and kicked him in the stomach with full force. He didn't expect it. He caught the blow full force and fell to the ground. It hurt. Both General Adrien and the royal guards laughed.

"Remember, you can't change fate, Ciaran. Hiraeth will go up in flames no matter what you do." Amaya told him, turning her back on him.

After she decided to stay, he let her go, and that hurt.

"In that case, I'll lose everything no matter what I do," Ciaran called after her. "So what should I do?"

She didn't stop. She didn't turn around. She didn't even look back.

She left.

General Marcellus helped Ciaran to his feet.

"Isn't she a little moody?" he said.

"She has a right to be upset this time," replied Ciaran.

Amaya and Mathias set off together to find the commander of the royal army. They didn't have to look long. All they had to do was ask the first soldier they found and he directed them where to find him.

They knocked on the door. Nothing was heard. They knocked a second time.

"Come in!" said a familiar voice.

Amaya and Mathias walked in. The commander's face showed surprise when he saw them.

"We're back," Amaya said.

Mathias hugged his father and he returned the hug warmly.

"I'm glad you're safe and alive, Mathias," he said, taking a good look at his son. "You've obviously been well taken care of."

"You don't hug anymore?" the commander looked at Amaya.

Amaya smiled and jumped into his arms. She hugged him tightly.

"A little gentler, Amaya. I'm already an old man." laughed the commander. "Have you heard the news?" he informed her. "You're coming home."

"King Mael has already informed me," Amaya said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"If I didn't know you, I'd think you aren't happy?" the commander looked at her inquisitively.

"I'm glad I'm going back to where I'm not considered a witch," Amaya replied.

"She fell in love with the prince," Mathias said with a mischievous smile.

"I didn't fall in love," she objected. She hit Mathias on the shoulder a little harder.

"You should have seen how she kicked him when he wasn't fighting for her," Mathias said to his father, laughing.

"You fell in love with that conceited prince who is supposed to rule?" wondered the commander as if she had become crazy.

"Prince Enzo? Never." Amaya laughed. "Mathias talks about Prince Ciaran, the illegitimate son of King Mael. He is the commander of the army of Deira. And he was the one who kidnapped me," she said. "But I don't love him."

"That doesn't sound very convincing," said the commander, suppressing a smile.

"Why does everyone think I'm in love with him?" Amaya didn't understand.

"Everyone?"

"Everyone," Amaya said. "Mareena, Drea, Mathias. Even General Marcellus began to believe it. How many times do I have to try to kill him to prove that I don't love him?"

"Everyone will believe when you kill him," said Mathias.

As long as neither the king nor the commander knew anything about the wedding, Mathias did not reveal it. He wanted her back and that would make it impossible.

"You must feel something for him when you helped their army avoid your own trap at Starlight Castle," remarked the commander.

"I just wanted to prove to him that I'm better," she denied what the commander thought.

"So there's no other reason?" he gave her an incredulous look. "I'm sure you didn't do it out of compulsion. It is impossible to force you to do anything you don't want to. You don't need to prove yourself.''

"I just wanted to prove to him that he's terrible at strategy," Amaya said convincingly. "I don't love him," she tried to convince herself.