DEMON CRY

26.

'What happened in there?' The Queen asked when she saw Phoebe and Tyhane walk out of the castle, unscathed. Her question was followed by another question, 'Where is my son?' 

The other Royals were in the garden, surrounded by warriors. 

'Mama! Papa!' the twins ran toward their parents who laughed and hugged them. The Royals waited patiently for their reply. They had no idea what had taken over the castle. It stood for centuries and was still strong... or so they thought. 

The two monarchs gave them some time. Tyhane looked up first, 'Prince Damien and Lady Amara are fine.' 

The Queen sighed loudly. She pinched her nose, 'It was her, wasn't it?'

The two of them nod. The King spoke, 'I need to see my son.' He began to make his way toward the castle but his wife stopped him, 'It's best we leave them alone for some time. Our son must've summoned his beast.' 

The King was confused but only for a moment. He quickly remembered what she had told him the day before. The Prince had opened up to her about the curse. The King was shocked but he was happy too. Their son was coming back to them. He smiled at her, 'Of course.' He addressed Tyhanne, 'Is it safe to enter?'

'Yes,' the Second-In-Command said without skipping a beat. 

Slowly, everyone made their way inside the castle. The workers began to clean the mess that the isolated quake had caused. Only the Royals were aware of the reason why such an incident took place and by the orders of the King, no one was allowed to enter the Lady Amara's room till he instructed them to. Though his strange order rose curiosity in those who served the Royals, none dared to defy it. 

Prince Damien's beast slipped back into its shell. He found himself sitting on the floor. He immediately felt the warmth of Amara's presence against his. He rested his chin on her head and sighed, content with it. He couldn't see her face but the sound of her steady breathing told him that she was sound asleep. He moved his hand from her arm and felt her cheeks. Her smooth and warm skin pressed against his palm made him shudder with delight. 

Who knew being this close to her would make him so happy?

He shut his eyes to relish the moment only to fall deep into a calm slumber. 

He was awakened when she moved. He looked down to see her forest green eyes staring at him, as if in a dream. Her cheeks were as red as the tip of the small nose. Her pink lips were slightly parted. He could hear her breathing through her mouth. He felt himself blushing too. There were many who'd looked at him as if he were a God but the way she looked at him made him feel special, the way she looked at him made him feel like himself. 

He smiled, 'How are you feeling, Amara?' 

His voice seemed to have snapped her out of whatever she was thinking about. She pushed him away from her, her eyes wide with fear. 

It startled him. 'Amara?'

Her body quaked with fear, 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I-I'm sorry, Your Highness. I-' 

Her words stung him. He reached out for her but she recoiled as if he was a monster. He was addled. How was it that she was comfortable with his beast but not with him?

She tried to get to her feet but failed. He caught her before she could fall. 

'Amara, calm down. Please,' he begged as she struggled against his grip, 'I only mean the best for you.' 

'No! You do not!' She screamed. She pushed him away and leaned on the wall for support. Her eyes were bloodshot and tears were streaming down her cheeks. 

Wide-eyed, he stared at her, shocked at her outburst. 

Her voice dropped down to a mere whisper, 'You do not.' 

It broke his heart. As slowly as he could, he made his way toward her, 'Amara, I don't mean you any harm. I'm here to-'

She cut him off, 'Get away from me! The sight of you makes my heart ache.' 

Momentarily stunned by her odd choice of words. He pondered over it. It seemed like a confession. Hope blossomed in his heart, 'And the sight of you in a state like this does the same to me,' he spoke softly. 

Her sniffing stopped. She stared at him with a look of betrayal on her face, 'You lie! You have the audacity to lie to me when you've already shared the bond-chalice with someone else!' 

Her accusation threw him off guard. Only one question swirled inside his head: How did she know? It was only possible if she'd broken the barriers his mother had put in her mind. His heart raced with joy. He couldn't tell the last time he was this happy. 

His silence only fuelled her rage, 'You! I am a governess here! How dare you-'

'What are you saying?'

He seemed to have taken offence at her words. She was determined she wasn't going to be played by his charms yet again, 'You've shared the bond chalice with someone and yet you...' Her voice faded. 

He stepped closer to her, 'And yet I what?' 

'And yet...' she struggled to find words, 'And yet you mock with your caring act!'

'I do care about you,' The sincerity in his voice shocked her. He was dangerously close to her, 'And I have no intention of mocking you with anything.' 

She sniffled, 'You're lying,' she hissed at him, no longer having the energy to raise her voice. 

He took her hands in his, 'I shared the bond chalice with you, Amara.'

She didn't pull away. A look of horror crossed her face, 'What?! Is this some kind of sick joke to you?'  

'No, it's not,' He gripped her trembling hands in a desperate attempt to convince her. She pulled her hands away but didn't move from her feet, 'Then what is it?' Her eyes held so much pain. 

'Amara, I shared the bond chalice with you.' 

'You did?' 

He nodded, 'I did. Trust me. Believe me, Amara.'