Chapter 39: Chapter 39

She stared at how dumbfounded he looked and didn’t know when she burst into a pits of laughter. “You seem surprised.” She said amidst laughter, she knew what he had in mind, he wanted what she said to be a lie or maybe the worse joke she could ever come up with, and she wished that was the case. She would love this to be a lie as well.

She shook her head and stopped herself from laughing more, it ached to laugh when all she had to think about was the revenge she had to take. “Before you ask, I'm not joking, Lorcán, he’s my father.”

Lorcán turned to fully stare at her and she looked back into his eyes with the purest eyes he had ever seen. “But how? I thought...” He let his world trailed off before he found the right words, “I thought your father was dead or something. It has never occurred to me to think about who your father is.”

She sighed and rested her head back on her knees. “I've never asked her too myself, because I foolishly thought that she gave birth to me only by herself.” She turned to find the amused look he had on his face and chucked, “I know, it was too innocent of me. And even after I knew a woman had to mate with a man to have a baby, I didn’t ask her about who my father is. It can be because she had never given me the impression to ask anything I want and also, I felt it wasn’t just important.”

He didn't interrupt her, just staring at her and she loved the fact that he was making things easier for her. She wanted to talk until she spoke out all the things she had in her mind. She sighed before she continued, “Zinambra used to be one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world, their packs had the most powerful alphas and they had trained soldiers that no one could ever dream of a war with them. Betla was the only princess, she had brothers that loved and took care of her, her parents pampered her to the point she was termed as the spoilt princess. She followed no rule of the palace, did everything she wanted and no one could ever say no to her. You know how beautiful she looks.” She smiled at the image of her mother that flashed through her eyes.

“At that same time, King Bhaltair has began his works of raiding the kingdoms he was sure he could win over and adding more to his empire, the captives as soldiers and other people as slaves, this made the people of Zinambra prepare more for him even though they knew he could never dream of coming to Zinambra, little did they know. The soldier’s general betrayed them, and it was a betrayal that still stung at Betla’s heart. No one knew he was King Bhaltair’s man until the day he raided into Zinambra.

“She had gone deep into the forest even though she knew her parents and brother didn’t like it, but she loved moving into the forest in her wolf form at night and howling the way she likes. That night, she went too far and lost her way, she had never been there before. Not knowing that while she looked for her way back home, her whole pack got killed, some captured and the entire family were killed by King Bhaltair.

“Before he came, he knew that there was only one princess in the palace and when they couldn’t see her there, he started looking for her himself in the forest until he found her, and when he found her, she asked him whether he was a guard sent home to look for her, she was just too innocent and she believed him. But before they reached home, he raped her.” She had to stop, because she could still hear the way Betla’s voice sounded when she was telling her the story the day she died, it pained her that she didn’t know when her tears started rolling down her cheeks.

She felt Lorcán’s hands around her shoulders and she smiled amidst her tears. “It was too bad that she fainted and he assumed she was dead and left. She woke up only after two days, worn out and pained that she wondered why she wasn’t found by any of her family members because she knew her brother’s must’ve surely looked for her. Had she gone too far?

“It was painful when she took herself back home but she wished she didn't, because she had seen the corpses of the soldiers, servants and all the people he had killed even before she got into the palace and when she did, everything came into a view. One of her brother’s was yet to die, the oldest and loveliest to her. She rushed to him, while crying in so much agony and he painfully told her how everything happened, who was behind it. It was then that he told her all the family’s secrets, their powers and told her he had been holding up just incase she would be back so he could transfer all their powers to her, and he did before he died.

“She had never bounced back from that pain, she used their bloods and got some powers. When she found out that she was pregnant, she wanted to end both our lives but somehow, she wanted someone to live with, maybe someone to help her when she’s ready to take her revenge on King Bhaltair. And like she told me, when she first saw me the day she gave birth to me, she fell in love with me and the hatred she thought she would have for me for being his child vanished, she only wanted me for the rest of her life.” At this point, she couldn’t move further, her tears intensified and she burst into tears. Lorcán hugged her tightly and she cried, her shoulders shaking with her grief .

“It’s okay, you don’t have to go on if you can't.” It took her sometime before she adjusted herself, pushed away the way Betla’s voice sounded when she told her everything. The hatred she heard, the pain, and the love she had for her. Everything was just too much for her to deal with and Aranya was glad she didn’t tell her this story earlier on and at the same time she hated herself for not giving her the sacrifice she had wanted for her to avenge on him.

“She had never told me this. I had no idea that the bloods of power she wanted from me were because she was attaining more magical powers to take her revenge on him. I would’ve done all I could to make sure it happened, Lorcán, I wouldn’t have let her die without taking her revenge.”

He cupped her face delicately into his hands and stared deeply into her wet eyes while his thumb caressed her cheeks as he wiped at her tears. “She might not be the one to avenge, but you have to do it yourself, Aranya, okay?”

She nodded her head, “I will, but how?”

He thought for a moment and spoke, “Through Keres, she’s his wife and you told me she asked you to be her maid so he wouldn’t be suspicious of you. We will find a way, but first, we have to make sure you learn how to tame down all the powers Betla gave you, everyone could see it from just a single glance at you.”

Her eyes wandered at her hands and she saw as fire moved firmly through her veins as though it were her blood. It looked as though she was a porcelain doll that was a see through and someone breathed life into her with the fire, she smiled. “How could I hide this, Lorcán?”

He thought for a moment, “Desdemona has all the knowledge of the world, she’s a Durush you know? She knows everything. She was the one that told me to get something that has your breath on it and I saw your hairpin, they were two at the time so I gave her one to keep, which she used to get into Zinambra on that day.”

Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt as much as it did before, she only nodded her head. “Do you think she will help me?”

“Not just you, us.” Darkness clouded his eyes and she held his hands in his.

“What’s wrong, Lorcán?” Did he remember his brother? Did he hate her now that he heard her story?

“He’s the one that raided Elfnour as well, killed my family and destroyed the entire clan. This revenge isn’t just for you, I have to avenge on my family as well.” Instead of her to fell relieved that at least she wasn't the only one into this, she felt terrified.

“Do you hate me now, Lorcán?” She asked as her eyes began to water, “My father destroyed your clan and my mother and I killed the only person you have left. I practically destroyed your life.” Oh how she owed this man.

He pulled her to his chest as he shook his head, “How could you say this, Aranya? I love you and that’s the only thing I could ever feel for you. We both hate this man, we both are going to avenge on him, okay? We’re never going to regard him as your father because he doesn’t deserve that. We have to get him killed, avenge for all the kingdoms he had raided and destroyed.”

“I'm sorry...” He muffled her voice on his chest and teleported them back into the room. She looked up at him with a small smile.

“Can I give you the daughter now? I want to make up for all the things you went through because of me.” Lorcán gently placed her on the bed and grinned at her.

“With all pleasure, my love.”

They had always had moment were it was heated and their passion for each other felt as though it could burn them alive, but it had never felt this way. Never this steamy, this lovely and so passionate that they almost got thankful for the magic Betla had casted on Aranya, because if she had let them got intimate before, it would never have felt this way. When they both were broken and in need of comfort, and when their bodies collided into one, it was more than the comfort they needed. It felt like healing.

•

Slowly, Keres pulled her head from his shoulder and swallowed her anger. She might as well speak to someone, have a few things off her chest. She didn’t shrug his hand that was still encasing her shoulders because somehow, it made her feel safe and secured. They sat their in silence, as everyone immersed in his thoughts and out of the blue moon, Xanth heard her speak.

“I want to visit Kestramore, but my father will be terrified to see that I went there alone. In fact, I don't think I can go there, The king must’ve done something because even Katharina could go everywhere but Kestramore, my birds could fly as much as they want, but never there.” Her eyes got filled again, but she stifled her tears back. She had to act tough because she didn't have to show herself as a weak woman just because she was having a moment of weakness and loneliness.

He sighed and slowly removed his hand from her shoulders, folding his hands together. She felt empty and nearly winced outwardly. “If you really want to go, I could find a way. But you have to make it discreet, just the two of us. It will be safe to say they think I'm King Bhaltair.”

That made her turn sharply and she angrily eyed him, “This only means you went there in his stead, not that he used your face as he told me that day, is it?” She was already on her feet and her voice echoed through the darkness. Xanth stood up as well and took a step away from her.

“Forgive me for making you angry your happiness, but I wasn't the one that went there. You got married to the king, not me. He used my face, like he told you. What I meant was...” The loud striking slap that laid on his cheeks stopped him from finishing his sentence and when he looked up, all he met was a fuming yet beautiful face of Keres.

“If you dare repeat what you just did to me today...” She shook her head, trying to find the right words and they both knew she wasn't referring about the face battle. “I don’t want to see you in my chamber anymore or else, I'll make sure you get punished by the King.” He stood there, staring at how she stomped back into the chamber and didn’t leave until he was certain that she had safely got into her room before he sighed and when his eyes glanced at the place she had just rested her head on, he smiled.