IN ANOTHER LIFE , josie saltzman ✔️

- 22. Changes

I walked into the throne room and saw my mother and Lord Blackwood training with swords. "So, um, mother... you sent for me?" I asked and made them cut it off. Lord Blackwood and my mother turned around to me and stood side by side. "Yes. Amaya, this is Sebastian Blackwood. He will train you." Mother announced and I shook my head. Then I smiled fakely and nodded. "Of course, mother." I said and she handed me her sword. I looked at it before Blackwood began to challenge me. "Oh, and careful, Lord Blackwood. My daughter likes to... trick her opponents." I smiled at my mother and nodded. "Very true." I spoke and laughed before Lord Blackwood stepped forward and tried to slay the sword out of my hands which I quickly held up my sword to block it. "I wonder... were there many training hours when you were little?" The lord asked and I chuckled. "Yes." I answered and began to fight more offensive.

Mother eventually left and after a few hours the lord and I came to a ultimate stop. "The word amongst the lords are that you are on Earth, fighting monsters. Some of them are even calling you the huntress. I wonder, why is that?" He asked and I set my mother's sword down and chuckled. "I don't know, maybe I am the huntress? Always longing for greater hunts and greater fights." I chuckled. "Word even is that you have sacrificed yourself for those earthwalkers..." He said and I nodded. "Which is true. I have sacrificed myself for the ones I have come to love. To protect the ones who protected me before. I assume you question why I spent my time with the earthwalkers who would like to tame our inner demons." He nodded and seemed clearly interested why I prefered the time on Earth over being on Meridial. "Not all of them are evil. Not all of them are to fear. Some of them are my friends. Even my family." I said softly and sat down at the large table by the wall. Blackwood followed me. "What makes them so precious? What do they possess that our kind does not?" He asked. "They are different. There are not only vampires living amongst humans. There are werewolves and witches. Witches who are almost like us. Only the are drawing their powers from a different source. They do not have other halfs or a darker side lingering underneath. They are just either good or bad. And werewolves who turn when the full moon reaches it's apex. There is no kingdom like ours. It's just so very different and I envy all those species for living such an easy life. One that is not controlled by the elders or the queen." I smiled to myself and Blackwood nodded. "Then why is it not allowed for us to co-exist with them? After all, your mother and you did." He asked and I chuckled sarcastically. "Yeah and we've brought death to too many while we were darkness driven. I am only living on Earth because I need to." I said and tilted my head and looked down on the ground. "Why is that?" Sebastian asked. "I have an other half. She's a very, very special witch. Another reason is my father's family and my half-sister. Tell me, Lord Blackwood, do you have an other half?" I said and looked up again as I spoke. Sebastian nodded and the look on his face was sad. "Yes. She lived in Nemea, but unfortunately, Ruby has bewitched every single revilas so until she's undoing it, my dear Helena is in a deep sleep." I frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. But I'm sure my mother is bringing her to undo it before she crowns her."

—

I looked at my mother before I walked out to the stables and got my horse ready. "Where are you going?" Sophia asked as I began to get onto the sattle. When I sat right, Sophia crossed her arms and looked up to me. "I'm going for a ride which I haven't been for a few years. Now, Sophia, do you want anything else?" I asked and Sophia stepped back and bowed besides me. "No, of course not. Enjoy your ride." She said while her head was still tilted and I sighed. "Thank you. I'll be back for the coronation." I said and then rode out through the woods.

I made a stop at the lake of grace when I was sure I wasn't followed. I bound my horse at a nearby tree and sighed. "Let's just hope this works." I whispered to myself. I kneeled down to the lake and put my hands into it. Magic began to surround my soul and I chuckled softly at the fact that I was able to use magic again. "Interesting... That's not how I pictured I'd meet you, princess." A voice said behind me and I gasped when I noticed that a portal closed. I got up and turned around. "How- How did you remember me?" I asked quietly.

The twins chuckled. "It appears that I only had to follow the note on my wrist that told me to look after a revilas called Amaya Rose Mikaelson." Josie said and she looked sad? "Why? Why did you had to sacrifice yourself? And why did you not come home when you were free?" Josie asked, tears glistening in her eyes. "Home? It appears that Earth is no longer my home." I said coldly and then held up my hand with my palm in their direction. I sighed and muttered a spell which caused the twins to vanish.

I got back onto the horse after filling water of the lake into a bottle and rode back to the castle.
"The Elders are awaiting you in the throne room." Sophia said and I sighed. Then I handed her the bottle and looked into the regents eyes. "Bring this into my room please." I said and the raven haired woman nodded. "Of course, princess." She bowed down infront of me and I shook my head. Then I walked inside and when I reached the doors to the throne room I sighed before walking right into the ghost.

My mother was kneeling infront of them. Her head was down and I felt the Elders' magic lingering in the air. "What's going on?" I asked and their eyes went up to me. "Ah, Amaya. Welcome. Have you settled in already?" They asked and I scoffed. "Oh, yeah, sure..." I rolled my eyes at the scene infront of me. I still felt like I was haunted by them.

"Amaya, we have come here today to talk to you about your... other half. It seems like she's not remembering you these days." I softly growled at them before I sighed and nodded. "This isn't your concern." I said and they laughed. "Oh, but it is. Especially if you are about to marry an other. For the sake of our people, of course." They said and I simply stared at them.

"What!? No! No way!" I exclaimed loudly. "Amaya, you have already met Lord Blackwood, right?" They asked. Rage was bubbling beneath my skin and I looked up to them with fiery eyes, but eventually nodded. "Yes." I whispered. "Good." They said. "But he has an other half, just like me. You can't do this to them." I began to argue and felt like this was the last straw. "Yes, that's true. But Helena Langley is under a sleeping spell and after it's undone she will not remember anything that happened before the spell and Josette Saltzman is an Earthwalker." I scoffed. "So, what? Josette Saltzman is an Earthwalker and that's the only reason I am not allowed to- to marry her in- in a few years? That's bullshit! You allowed a marriage between my father, an Earthwalker, and my mother, a revilas." I argued and stepped forward. I now noticed the figure of Sebastian Blackwood at the table.

"Because they produced an heir, someone to carry on the Hale bloodline. Someone who would be able to reign over Meridial." They answered. "So, this is what it's about. Producing an heir to continue the legacy of the Hale bloodline." I spat and growled. "Your marriage will take place, Amaya Hale! Now kneel." Then I snapped and felt my eyes glowing.

"My name is Amaya Mikaelson and I kneel before no one! I am my own person! And I will not be controlled by you!" I said screaming and then thse ghosts disappeared. "Mark our words... You will marry Sebastian Blackwood. One way or the other." Their words were a mere whisper in the air.

Before I could have said anything else I felt like time was pacing up around me. Mother and Sophia began to prepare the throne room and my bed chambers and the thought of me marrying someone that was not her pained me.

Five hours later I stood infront of my husband to be and avoided to look into his eyes. As Sophia married us my eyes were on the floor and I tried not to cry. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. But I stayed silent. "Amaya, do you take Sebastian Blackwood as your husband, as your... partner?" I knew that she rephrased the words. I knew because I saw royal marriages happen when I was younger.

"I do." I said and looked up from the ground. He was holding my hands and I pushed myself to look into his brown eyes. Sebastian and I put rings on the other's ring finger and then I felt his lips on me. Everything happened so robotic. I didn't even notice that he pulled away from me until I opened my eyes. I quickly pulled my hands out of his and looked at Sophia and my mother. They both looked sorry.

"Are you sure?" Sebastian asked concerned as I sat down on my bed, now wearing something more lighter. "Consumation is part of a marriage, right?" I asked and he nodded. "Then let's get this over with." He walked up to me and lifted my face with two fingers. "I know that I am the last person that you would want to do this with." He whispered and then placed a kiss on my forehead, initiating the consumation. I looked away as he pulled my beige dress off my body and sighed when my hands began to tremble at his shirt. "It's okay." He whispered and slowly, he took my hands from his shirt. He took his shirt off and I laid down on the bed. Sebastian crawled over to me and I turned my head to the left to look at the window. Then the soft sheets of my bed were covering us and I closed my eyes and wished this to be over.