Amelia Merlin and the Game for Okamila

Part 49: The Beach And The Courtyard and Lake Duessa

"Amelia where the hell have you been?" Fred wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"What are you talking about?" she frowned. "I just went for a walk. I wasn't gone more than twenty minutes."

"I haven't seen you for hours!" he pulled away and put his hands on her face, inspecting her for any sign of injury.

"What? No, I was only gone-"  Amelia stuttered. "Maybe I got lost?" she said unconvincingly.

"It doesn't matter now. Let's just go down to the beach." he took her hand in his and they walked through the halls towards the shore. The Islands of Imagi were a small slice of paradise. Amelia still couldn't believe they were vacationing in a place similar to the Caribbean islands. Their bare feet left trails of stumbling frivolity through the white sandy beach as they walked hand in hand down the shoreline. Finally they found a place to sit and while Amelia lay in the sand reading her book, Fred went for a quick swim. As she turned a page, the world around her started to shift and she felt herself falling through...something.

There was a white courtyard where people stood around in robes made of gold and silver. She recognized the place, it wasn't the first time she had been here in a dream. Previously, she had been attacked by the people in robes but something was different now.

In the middle of the courtyard was a great tree. It looked exactly like the one she had once created in her backyard. Amelia pushed through the people who all looked very sad and as she neared the tree the melancholy infected her and she could feel her growing despair. She shoved them aside, desperate to reach the tree.

When she did, she saw a boy kneeling at the base. He was so beautiful with silver hair and big eyes, but he was crying and Amelia could sense a terrible danger around him. He looked up at her and his grey eyes were tinged red.

"I'm sorry. You know I didn't want it to end like this. I would have done anything to stop this from happening but it's too late."

Anger coursed through her and she felt her hands start to shake but she didn't know why.

"What have you done?"

"I didn't do anything." he cried, pain rippling through his voice. "She did it herself."

"If you don't leave right now I will kill you." she whispered.

"I can't. I won't leave. Not now." he stammered.

"Leave!" Amelia screamed. "I am Queen of Kalishterya but more than that I am the Mother of Wolves and you have no idea what you are dealing with, boy."

The scene began to shudder as though an earthquake had hit. Suddenly the tree melted to water as did the people in gold and silver robes. Amelia was soon encased in the salt of the ocean and she drifted toward the horizon.

She was back on the white sandy beach and Fred was running back to her, dripping wet and grinning. His red hair clashed horribly with the sunburn he had received but he looked wonderful nonetheless.

The dreams were back and she knew it. It was because of him. Akkedis wouldn't stop, she felt like she was going to be sick but she looked over at him and decided The Lord of Dreams could try his very best but she wasn't going to let his shit ruin her vacation. 

"Amelia, love, you've got to come into the water!" he laughed and water flew from his hair into her face. She couldn't help but smile, putting the dream aside she got up and raced him to the water. It was the last day of their vacation together and it could not have been more perfect. The sun was setting overhead in a fair array of pink and gold swirled clouds above them. The water changed too so it was a soft reflection of the cotton candy sky. They fell asleep on the beach, limbs entangled in each other so it was impossible to determine where one person ended and another began.

...............

Don walked through the woods, he didn't really like being outside. It reminded him of having to go on hunts with Blaxton which made him want to be sick. The woods near the lake were clouded by bugs and it made him want to be sick. Everything about this place made him want to be sick. He hated that he was going to Lake Duessa like Brice fucking Gorodetsky had told him to. He hated that he was still being manipulated and he hated how much he just wanted someone for once to tell him the truth. 

Why was that so much to ask? 

Finally he could see the hut across the bright blue waters of Lake Duessa, it was surrounded by mountains and trees that were taller than any he had seen in the North. And that hut, standing alone and isolated across the lake from him. So Don Monatheon started his way around, his boots squished in mud and as he got closer the sight of the hut made him want to be sick. 

And then he was there, and his hand was raised and he knocked on the door and it swung open and she was standing there. 

"Don?" she looked at him with her blonde hair and blue eyes and she looked at him. "Is that you?"

"I only want one thing." his voice was stronger than he thought it would be. "I just need to know if it's true, if I'm a bastard."

Her eyes filled with tears and she opened her mouth and no words came out and it made him want to be sick. 

"Okay, so that would be a yes then." he snarled and turned on his heel and left his mother standing in the doorway of a hut on the edge of Lake Duessa. 

It was un-fucking-believable. Don felt his hands starting to shake and blue blotches tinting his vision. He was so angry. He wanted them to pay, everyone who ever lied to him. His so called family was not going to get away with this. They treated him like shit for years and he put up with it because that's what you did with family but this was ridiculous. He wanted them all to pay for this.