A Key To Another World

Chapter ten

Zoe: "Father, wait!!!"

Zoe ran after her father, who entered a cemetery near the village, the village where Michael was held captive. King Zalkan went further inside the cemetery and stopped in front of a particular grave. There was something scrawled on the tombstone:

"You will always be in our hearts. May you never be forgotten for what you did for all your people. God bless this queen. Rest in peace."

Zoe: "Father..."

Her father took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. He turned to her and gave her a facial expression that expressed betrayal, sadness, anger and concern all at once.

Zalkan: "Why? Why did you run away from me, from all of us? Two years have passed since then! I thought you didn't make it..."

Zoe was silent and looked to the ground. She felt guilty for leaving her father and her people so suddenly, without leaving a single trace.

Zalkan: "The thought of losing my own daughter sucked the life out of me.... Everyone was so deathly worried about you!"

Zoe: "I... am sorry... I didn't mean to cause any pain... I just wanted to be as far away from him as possible!"

Zalkan: "You still haven't changed your mind about Zak?"

Zoe: "No... Not after what he tried to do to me!"

Zalkan: "Zak would never do something like that, Zoe! We've discussed this many times. He loves you and cares about your well-being!"

Zoe: "I doubt that... He only cared about my body and nothing else! He treated me like I was his toy!"

Zalkan: "Look Zoe, I'm really sorry that I forced you to do this.... I knew you weren't happy with him. I wanted you to marry the strongest of our people so he could protect you from those damn Redclaws! I don't want you to end up like your dear mother.... I couldn't protect her from them..."

A tear ran down his cheek as he continued to stare at the grave in front of him.

Zalkan: "If you really feel that way about him, and if he really tried to rape you, then I will call off the wedding today and send him to prison."

Zoe's ears perk up.

Zoe: "Really!"

Zalkan: "I will do everything I can to win you back as my daughter."

Zoe: "Thank you father!"

They both hugged each other.

Zalkan: "I missed you, Zoe."

Zoe: "I missed you too."

The two let go of each other and walked to the exit of the cemetery.

Zalkan: "Was what Zak told me about you and that strange creature true? What was it called again, Hooman?"

Zoe: "I... uh, um..."

Zoe blushed and looked away from her father.

Zoe: "Y-yes, we both have feelings for each other. But we didn't do anything dirty, I swear!"

Zalkan: "Hmm, may I ask where he's from? I've never seen a creature like him before."

Zoe: "He's human and his name is Michael, but he prefers to be called Michi. He told me that he comes from a cruel world where he was considered an outcast. He was not happy with himself and almost committed suicide."

Zalkan: "How tragic... And how did you meet him?"

Zoe: "I was patrolling in the forest to find something to eat, and I was attacked by two redclaws. They left me here in the dirt to bleed to death, and then he came and saved me."