[Book Three] The girl that once was Milaia now must face the worst of all her nightmares, war. To do so, she must finally get to the truth of the story, with the help of her friends and allies. Will she be willing to pay the price to know it? Will s...
At first he was just a thief in my mind, just a man capable of anything to get what he wanted. But a mission to the impossible showed me who was hiding behind that facade. That man had made me fall in love, and that man had abandoned me.
Caelus.
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I had not seen Caelus for three months.
Not since that day, since the day I said yes to Phoenix.
Of all the silences that followed my response, his was the most painful, gripped by a lost hope for a future together.
He couldn't help but reach out to me, pull me out of that scene, separate me from the confused stares to try to change my decision.
He took me by the arm and led me to his tent, when everyone was still shocked by what Phoenix had asked me, and even more by what I had answered.
I knew what he was going to say, but it didn't make it any easier, it didn't make it any less painful.
'Are you crazy? You don't have to do this, Gaia.'
'It's the only way.'
'You know it isn't.'
He grabbed my face and pulled me so close I thought he was going to kiss me, but he held back, remembering what he had promised me.
'Gaia, I know you don't love me...'
That sentence alone broke down my defenses, my heart ached, my feelings were crushed.
I love you. I wanted to say, to scream.
But the Gods wouldn't let me.
I had promised them that I would not tell him that I loved him, that I would forget that feeling, if they brought him back to life, after he sacrificed himself for me. And I knew that if I showed him my feelings, they would take him away from me forever.
I couldn't let that happen.
So I remained silent, drowning my feelings, ignoring that ache in my chest that drew me to him.
'But, but I do love you, and I would marry you in a heartbeat. I was a fool not to have said it sooner. I was so foolish, such a coward. But, we can still be a team, our friendship being the basis of our marriage. And even if you don't love me, you know me. You don't know that man. I would do anything for you. Anything Gaia. Isn't that enough?'
I wanted to say yes to him.
I wanted to embrace him and never let him go.
I didn't want to marry Phoenix, of course not.
But what choice did I have?
I had sworn an oath to prioritize my Kingdom over my own feelings.
My Kingdom needed peace now more than ever. I had to obtain that peace, I had to do it without thinking about what it would cost me. And even if I could manage to marry someone I loved, the Gods would not allow it.
