Hell Bound

CHAPTER 4 ~PART II

The ceremony went well, surprisingly. Alithiya thought, mockingly. And the amount of love they both showed each other and the way they kept snuggling closer to each other was absolutely nauseating. But she was no fool. She knew when to let go. If anything, she had learnt at a young age, that things taken for granted would often slip away from you. She had taken his love for granted, she knew that. And because of that, she had lost him.

But a part of her was happy. She knew she was intended to the Deceiver. Being in love with someone else when he comes to take her away to his kingdom would surely be a hindrance. This way, she wouldn't have any desire to flee away from the inevitable. She also knew that prolonging the inevitable was just plain foolish. Accepting your fate from the beginning was much easier. 

But she couldn't stifle the voice that wanted to scream and cry out at the unfairness of it all. She forcefully showed it away to the very back of her mind, and locked it in. Allesandro had taught her to keep her emotions in check. When she was little, Allen had taken time to teach her how to keep her face blank and not show the slightest emotion for if given the chance people would take advantage of her. She had wondered where he had learned to do such things, but now she knew that the reason he knew all those was because he had been the son of a nobleman, albeit a very bad one, once, way before he had become a soldier. And he was her uncle. So that made her someone from the nobility as well. Her uncle had said, that she played the part of a noblewoman well. 

The shaman was nowhere to be seen. Further searching around for him, she finally saw him. He was sitting well away from the crowd, near the bonfire. She carefully stepped around a few children who were engaged in a mock battle in their beast forms, and walked over to where the shaman sat. 

Shadows danced across his weathered face, and a small smile graced his lips as he saw her approach. She smiled back and sat beside him. They sat together in companionable silence until he spoke. 

"Love is a mysterious thing. It can mend a heart. Or it can break one," he spoke. She glanced at him curiously. He met her gaze. "I sense the pain in you, child. 'tis not healthy to carry a pain so," he said. 

She looked away from him, and stared at the fire. After a long silence, she spoke. "It is not easy," she admitted. Then her gaze hardened. "I am of the opinion, that what doesn't kill one only make one stronger. You are right, shaman. I carry the pain. My heart is scarred. But 'tis a scar I bear proudly for it's the sign that I have faced an ordeal and survived it," sh said. "A warrior's worth is measured by his bravery and selflessness. They carry their wounds proudly to woo maidens and to show their bravery and strength, to gain the respect of their lords and ladies," She looked at the old man. "Women may not bear scars on their flesh. But they carry enough wounds in their hearts that make them equal in strength to that of men. Maybe more so," she added softly. 

The shaman's gaze softened. "Ye speak the truth, lass. There is no happiness without pain," he said. 

"Perhaps, you might find the happiness you seek with your intended," At her startled look, he chuckled lightly. "I haven't been shaman for this long by being ignorant to the going ons around me, little lady," he explained, lightly. "The moment your protector stepped into the valley with you all those years ago in the wee hours of dawn, I knew what you both were, my child," he nodded at a spot further away from the gathered beasts, where the shadows had thickened. "I'm guessing that's him, right there?"

"How did you-" she asked, but stopped when he reached up and tapped his temple "Shaman, remember?" he said. 

She nodded, then watched as the shadows dispersed and her uncle came towards her. The shaman waited until he gotten nearer, and then chuckled. "Allesandro, my friend. It has been far too long," he said lightly.