A KINGDOM UNDONE , original

four

[ AMAYA HALE ]
[ ACT ONE : THE BLOOD MOON ]

The next day, Amaya woke up naked underneath a tiny, little, thing she chose not to call a blanket, her head was abuzz on a soft mattress and she rolled over to look at Sebastian, his eyes open, looking down at her from his seated postion. "Gods, you're beautiful." He told her with a laugh and Amaya drew herself up, leaning against him. "My, my." She whispered and let out a soft laugh. He joined her in her laughter and pulled her close to his chest, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

She looked at him, his ruffled brown hair matched the way her own looked, she figured. But she wasn't about to get out of that bed. "All these nights spent in a bed together... makes you think of wasting all that time with sleep." She shook her head and laughed, rubbing her eyes. He laughed then, throwing his head back. "You're getting bold there." He told her before his hand found hers.

Her gaze dropped to their intertwined hands, the silver ring on his left index finger. Amaya lifted her head and looked at him, setting a kiss on his jaw before she put her head on his chest. "Tell me all your favorite things." He whispered then, making Amaya stifle a laugh. "My... my favorite things?" She answered, not lifting her head, looking at their hands as if in a dream. "Yes. I want to know them all." He whispered in her ear and Amaya swallowed at the way his voice dropped. When she thought she wanted more of his voice, it never included this. This was the first time he spoke to her this way. Well, the second. Their night had been filled with sweet and naughty things that were whispered and shouted out.

She thought for a moment, "The stars are my favorite thing, followed by banana pancakes, red lipstick and books." She looked up at him as he nodded, contemplating something. "How is red lipstick your favorite thing?" He asked her and she smiled brightly, "You haven't seen me yet with red lipstick on." She whispered and his eyes darkened for a moment as they gazed in her own.

"I want to be your most favorite thing in the entire world." He told her after a while and she laughed before seeing how serious he was. "Oh." She let out softly and hid her face again, hid the brightness of her cheeks. She looked back down on their intertwined hands. "What are yours?" She asked him a few minutes later. "The sunset." He told her, then added, "magic, the falls and John's nectar mixture." She smiled, then. "Hmm." She moaned and closed her eyes, "Me too." When she felt Sebastian's head shift on her own, she added, "I want to be at the top of your list."

꧁⸻꧂

Amaya sighed, putting another forkful of pancakes in her mouth. "This is the best morning ever!" She mumbled with a full mouth. "Best morning ever, is that right?" Sebastian grinned before he sat down next to her at the table and already began chewing on his pancakes. She mumbled something in agreement while munching on the delicious food.

"Listen, I have to attend to some matters for a while after we're done with breakfast. Are you gonna be okay here for a few hours?" She looked over to him, stopped chewing and raised a dark eyebrow. "I thought Sophia was in charge." She loudly questioned after swallowing down her food. "She asked for some help with the Council." Amaya looked at him, then shrugged, hand reaching out for her coffee. "Okay, um, yeah, I'm gonna be okay here." He nodded at her, offered her a smile before he turned to his pancakes again.

Amaya didn't like being alone. Something about being left alone with her own thoughts never felt right to her. But she sat on the couch, one book already opened on her lap, while she had another in her hands. She sat there for a while and read before she wasn't interested anymore and walked throughout the cabin, examining every nook and cranny like it was the most interesting thing she ever saw before. But there weren't many interesting things stored here. She found a few bottles of nectar that she put in the fridge for later and ate a handful of berries.

Amaya sat down on the stairs, looking at a framed photograph of Sebastian with a white haired woman with fairy like features and a man all dressed in black. They stood in a row, looking at each other and laughing. They didn't seem to notice that they were being photographed. Sebastian was holding one of the holy materials, a grey marbel stone large enough to fit in the palm of his hand. The man next to him had his arm thrown around his shoulder and the woman smiled brightly, a smile that reached her golden eyes.

Amaya set the photograph back just in time because the back door opened with a screech and the woman turned to see Sebastian entering. He had his eyes averted, looking away as he closed the door. Amaya used her newly found enhanced speed and stood before him in an instant and found herself with the back to the door, facing him. "You're getting quiet." Sebastian told her and then smiled at her, bringing his hand to her face, closing the distance between them. "Eh, I try. I practiced some things while you were away." Amaya shrugged, still smiling up at him. Sebastian's hand dropped from her face and wandered down her arm, grabbing hold of her hand. Amaya's hand found his back and she watched with confusion as he shook beneath her touch.

Sebastian grabbed her and lifted her up as Amaya laughed out and held onto him, wrapping her legs around his torso. He told her then, "I brought you something. Something you should have. It might give you the strength to face, hm, well, everything." Amaya tilted her head at his words, caressing his cheek, shaking her head. "I don't want it." She drawled. Sebastian's eyes darkened and he moved then, walking upstairs with Amaya clinging to him for support.

He put her down on the bed and hovered over as he picked something out from his jacket. He took her hand in his and slipped a silver ring on her right ring finger. It was one much like the one he wore on his left hand, but adorend with a small amber gem. "I'm not supposed to give this to you yet but this is so much better than what they'd have me do." He said and Amaya looked up from the ring with a well of tears in her eyes. "I love it." She sat up and put her arms around his neck, drawing him close. "Thank you." She kissed his cheek and Sebastian turned to face her.

There was a dark gleam in both of their eyes and a secret understanding. Everything flew out the window last night and neither of them were mad about it. It was their secret, this was their little hideaway. And Amaya welcomed it, he knew that.

Amaya wasn't sure of a lot things when it came to the revilas and the Council. But she was sure about Sebastian. Amaya sighed then, wiggled herself out of his hold and lay down on her side of the bed. She put her hand to her neck and turned to the side. She felt the mattress dip in beside her under his weight and breathed out shakily.

"I have to tell you something. I don't want to but I have to." He whispered. "Then don't." Amaya told him. There was a low chuckle escaping his throat. "I wish it were that easy. Before you ascend to Queen, you have to familiarize yourself with the Kings before." Amaya laughed then, "I think I already did. Thrice." She turned around to him and saw his jacket hung up on the chair by the table. "Amaya." He told her in a low voice, warning. "You have to see what they saw. What happened to them." He paused then, breathing out loud as he groaned. "What? What is it?" She asked and reached out for him. He caught her hand. "It's good that you're laying down." He whispered and looked at her with an apologetic expression on his face. He put her hand to his temple, closed his eyes and Amaya felt the world fade away until there was nothing left.

꧁⸻꧂

She was a person. She knew that. But standing there on the sidelines as she witnessed Kings and Queens stand before the council, touch a stone, face a shadow and ascend, that gave her chills right down her spine. There were more moments. Single Kings who faced monsters with swords in hands. She watched as if through their eyes as the castle was built, magic in it's physical form swept into the cracks of the earth and shattered it. Amaya watched as there were babies in cradles and men on a throne, a crown on their heads. She watched as they were killed brutally, silently. She looked away when there was a shadow emerging from a dead King, facing her as if it had eyes and could stare into her soul. Then it lunged for her.