[Book Two] After facing the truth and accepting her new life, Milaia must embark on a dangerous quest to reach the Tree of Life to save her former kingdom and her true love, with the help of a ruthless ally who may be more important than she realize...
When they happen, we don't realise what they mean, we just let them pass and then miss them or regret them.
But my life had been planned from the beginning.
Each of my actions specifically manipulated to reach an ultimate fate. Did that make me lose my fear of the unexpected? No, the fear still existed.
I didn't know what could happen. What could happen to me, or to others.
Or what I could become.
'See Gaia? I'm doing you a favour. You will be Queen again, since your people don't want you as such. Besides, you should know, if you don't do what I want, your friends die. Or rather, they all die. Every single nasty annoying human or creature that fights for you will die.'
The beasts started coming out of our sides. They mingled among the soldiers who did not flinch for a second in the presence of these monsters.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
There were too many of them.
And there was only Polar and Rayn, who, even if they broke their promise not to harm any innocents, could not handle the beasts and the soldiers.
This new power could not take them all, for it would consume me completely.
I stood on alert, Polar and Rayn drawing their swords, ready to defend me to the death.
'It's your decision, it's only an oath. Look, I'll go first: I, Jonah, son of Lucius, grandson of Octavius, take you Gaia, daughter of Gelon, granddaughter of Louis, to be my wife, to love and to cherish, so long as we both shall live.'
He held out his hand and from it emerged the red thread of marriage.
I knew there were legends about it, that once the thread was formed, there was no way to destroy it.
But I would not do it.
'Desperation does not suit you prince Jonah, I will not marry you on any terms.'
'Come on Gaia, don't be bloody proud. I'm offering you everything you could ever want.'
'Why? Why now? What changed?'
He didn't know, but I was buying time.
I knew that he would feel me coming here, and that he would be so arrogant as to turn as many soldiers as he could against me. That would make Galaga and Mandacol's task easier.
I had not foreseen the beasts, though. I didn't know he had so much control over them, nor did I know that the cure would cost me so much physically.
'That's none of your business,' he answered.
'So all of a sudden I'm worthy of His Majesty? Please Jonah, I can't think of any reason why you would want to marry me...'
