DEMON CRY

22.

Amara saw a little boy. He had big beautiful eyes that held the dreams of the world in them. He wore a navy blue suit. 

He seemed oddly familiar.

The woods were pretty. As he trodded on his tiny feet, with a beautiful cup in his hands, Amara's heart paced. His features became clearer as he neared her. This boy looked so familiar. She hid behind a tree trunk to observe him. He passed by her without paying attention to her. He followed him. She heard where he was going before she could see it. He was going toward a ravine. 

What followed was the strangest thing Amara had ever encountered. She felt herself being sucked ahead of him. It was too fast. She couldn't fight it. 

She found her vision blurry. Her eyes were burning, and so was her knee. She was confused. 

'What are you doing here?' 

She heard a small childish voice somewhere over her. She looked up. Through her blurry eyes, she made out the tiny profile of the boy she had been following. 'Nothing,' the words just came out of her mouth. She felt as if her body wasn't in her control anymore. Moreover, she sounded like a child. 'What are you doing here?'

The boy ignored her question, 'Why are you crying?'

'I got a boo-boo,' she showed him her knee. Amara found it embarrassing. Why was she acting like a child? What's wrong with her voice? And why does this boy look familiar?

'That's a big boo-boo,' He said, looking at it. 'Come with me, my mother will take care of it.'

Amara's heart melted. This boy was so kind. He reached out toward her but before she could reach it, he drew his hand away and looked at the ceremonial cup, 'Wait! You want water?'

She found herself nodding. He gave her the cup. It was so big. She could barely hold it. Strangely, her hands had shrunk. She drank the water, spilling most of it. Once again, she was embarrassed. The water was cool and sweet. It was refreshing. But there was something different about it. 'Thank you.'

'Damien! Where are you, my little prince?' 
Amara heard a voice she was all too familiar with. 

The Queen Of the Dithrai Ravenna. Amara wanted to scamper away. She found it hard to believe it was the Crown Prince Damien. She studied the boy's features. It was him. The Crown Prince. 

Amara understood that she was trapped. It was a memory. All she knew was that it belonged to a child. But why was she witnessing this? 

The boy told her something to which she giggled. 

Queen Ravenna looked very young. Amara recognized her immediately. The Queen hadn't changed much. She smiled and Amara's eyes nearly popped out when she realized what she was witnessing. Amara had never seen the Queen smile. This was the first time and it was probably a lifetime ago. 'So this is where my little prince ran off to.'

The Queen saw her. Amara wanted to hide. There was no hostility in the Queen's demeanour but Amara found this kind Queen a little unsettling. The Queen looked at her son, 'Who is she, Damien?'

Damien's eyes connected with Amara's. Amara noticed how cheerful they were. They held so much life, unlike the ones she had seen. What happened to this beautiful boy? Amara knew the answer. She knew it was the curse. She was determined to know what it was. 

'What happened to you, pretty girl?' The Queen beamed at her. 

Amara was shocked. The curse had ruined all of them. All of the Royals. She found herself smiling, 'I got a boo-boo.' 

The Queen took her in her arms. Amara was flustered. She wanted to get out of this memory. None of this made sense. The Queen looked at her and smiled again, 'Now, tell me, where are your parents and how you got this boo-boo?'

The child was about to reply when a look of horror took over the Queen features. It was directed at the young prince. 'Damien! Where did you find that cup?!'

Amara looked at the ceremonial cup. Realization dawned on her. She had known all along what that cup was. It was the Bond Chalice. The Royals drank from it on their wedding day. The Prince had shared it with a girl. Her heart sank. It was as if her hopes were plunged into deepest depths of despair. She was irritated. How could she even expect this?! She had feelings for the Prince. She knew all along that it was in vain but she couldn't convince herself to forget it. 

She deserved this hurt. 

She tried to listen to the conversation that took place between the Queen and her son but Amara felt herself being pulled out of the child's body. She couldn't fight this force either. She was dragged away. 

She saw the child. The girl that shared the bond chalice with the Prince. Her features weren't sharp. She noted her dirty pink dress and her long black hair.

Amara's heart sank and she welcomed the dark that embraced her with open arms.