Avery's Pov
"It's today." Myra whispered as soon as I opened my eyes.
"I know."
"Well, let's prepare you."
Breakfast was quiet. Mother prepared Cinnamon cakes with honey lime tea for breakfast. That was a dish served only during my birthday, and it was one of my favourite cakes. Made sense why she would make it.
Lumina made it just after breakfast.
"Baby girl!" She squealed as she enveloped me in a hug. "I always had a premonition that it'd be you because I had always been sure the selection was based on looks."
"Oh, please stop that. I am not the least bit happy to leave this place, and you know that."
Lumina gave me a stare and when she eventually saw that I made no reaction, she pulled me into a hug.
"Listen, I know you're scared because you've never left the village your entire life. Actually, all the girls are in the same shoes, we've all never left the village." She smiled softly. "I know you'll do great, both as a queen and as a wife."
She said wife, that singular word always managed to somehow remind me of the dire situation I was in.
"I'll do my best, that's all I'll promise."
"That's all that's needed."
A soft smile and a lot of messages were passed.
Lumina had my good in heart, but if she knew the truth.....
I would leave for the Draconian kingdom in the hour of the gates. I would leave my family forever.
(A/N: The hour of the gates are Six, Nine, Twelve, Three, and the cycle repeats again. So, the time Avery leaves would be around Nine in the morning. I feel so sad for him.T_T)
The day dragged, or I was the only one who thought that. My parents kept hanging around me, and I didn't hate it at all, Myra was nowhere to be found.
I was all dolled up for a fellow man. The irony was scary.
I didn't want to go. I didn't want to marry him. I didn't want to become his queen.
Mother opened the door. The man I had known to be Kael was standing at the door. I had never seen him with a sword, but one was sheathed at his side right now. He wasn't wearing any armour like the soldiers standing behind him.
"Your royal majesty." He called.
What in the world of moon's..., I was sure I heard him asking khendal where it was while looking at my chest. What was the unnecessary courtesy now?
My parents looked at me with a teary smile. Myra still wasn't around anywhere.
I was waiting a long time looking around until he called me again.
"Your Majesty, Avery."
"I'm coming."
I followed him, walking as slowly as possible,all in hopes to catch Myra.
She wasn't angry or sad this morning. She wasn't happy, yes, but she seemed to have accepted it, so why wasn't she here?
The walk out of my house consisted of myself, my parents, Kael, and the soldiers he brought with him. Gradually and slowly, our party increased till we reached the village square.
Myra still wasn't around. I started panicking slowly. I didn't want to leave without seeing my sister one last time.
We continued walking. Passing the temple, everyone stopped to bow to the goddess' statue outside.
We passed the forest, and I lingered. The forest was my second home. The river, the trees, the animals, I'd miss them all. Especially the squirrel I had named Eloha.
I had a strange ability. I could speak with the animals, or I could somehow understand what they said, and Eloha was the closest animal friend I had. She always warned me when Lumina was in the forest.
I chuckled at the memory. I'd miss them for sure, I would miss everything about home.
Around me, I could see smiles on the faces of everyone. They were smiling for me. They were happy for me. But I wasn't happy.
The sickening feeling came back. The air became thin, and it was becoming hard to take in breaths.
"You will escape."
Those words sifted into my head, and I instantly calmed down. It felt like there was a freshness of air. The sudden soft breeze that blew helped in confirming my speculation. Although, I couldn't be sure if that was what actually happened.
The goddess had promised that I would escape, and I was desperately hanging on to those words, to that dream, or was it a hallucination?
A soft melody broke out.
"The goddess has chosen you, and you have answered. You are blessed of the gods, Avery. The air shall not leave you before you're old and grey."
The voices rang, and the air carried the sweet melodies my family sang. Everyone in the village could be considered family. The thought warmed my heart and brought a sting to my eyes.
I really didn't want to go.
The end of the village. All the other girls were waiting there, priestess Varena, priest Freidka, and finally, my husband.
He was expressionless, like a lifeless statue. The statue of the goddess looked more alive than he did.
"Come to me, child." The priestess called.
The two soldiers standing in front of me moved aside for me to pass. I wished they didn't.
The next step I would take would be the last step out of my village, my home.
My view became blurry, and that was when I realised I was crying.
"Do not cry, my child. Come." She called again.
I looked back at my parents, and Mother was weeping, Father was crying too while hugging her.
They didn't want me to go, but I also didn't want to go.
"Come, Child. You will make a new home there. Come." She called again, motioning with her hands.
"Home?"
"Home?"
I didn't want to make another home with the lifeless statue waiting for me. I could never be home if I wasn't with them. I turned back to them.
Home was whenever I was with them. I didn't want to leave,I didn't want to go.
"Go..." My mother mouthed.
I shook my head, I must have imagined it. There was no way.
"Go..." She mouthed again.
"No.. no.. there's no way...
"Go!" She finally yelled, her voice breaking.
She had cast a spell on me. I walked forward to meet the priestess. I stopped again. Something was stopping me.
Myra.
She still wasn't here. Looking around and seeing no sign of her, I continued walking.
She must have felt too sad to see me. I would not cause her any more pain.
"It's better to endure it all. I've already caused my family enough pain just by being born. They would be better off without me."
I continued walking, feeling darkness engulf me. The darkness was the emptiness and hollowness I felt while approaching the statue.
I just knew that it would consume me.
"Wait!"
I was called back to reality. Who was that?
"Wait! Gods! It's not hard to hear me. I have a loud voice!"
I turned back. Myra was there, panting, sweating, and smiling at me.
A little animal was in her hands.
"Eloha..."