Chapter 24 Chapter 23
Amaris.
"Thank you for looking out for me." She replied solemnly. Letting go of my hands, she moved closer to me. "But... If I may ask, what really happened? Why did I wake up at the Alpha king's chambers?" She asked, and I could see the mix of emotions within them—confusion, disbelief, and something else, something deeper.
"I also don't know, Evelyn. You were brought out from the Alpha king's meeting unconscious and marred with bruises. The palace doctor treated you of them but you still didn't wake up. Hours later, he showed up and ordered that we bring you into his chambers." I explained, recounting yesterday's event to her.
Her shock was palpable, her voice laced with incredulity. "He did that?" she asked, her eyes searching mine for any sign that I might be joking. I nodded solemnly, confirming the unbelievable truth. "You don't know why?" She asked, raising a brow. I shook my head.
"No one knows why." I told her, then quickly became worried. "Did he hurt you?'"
"No, he didn't go anything and honestly, that's the most surprising part." She revealed, her brows furrowed in thought.
"I'm just glad to see you're okay. By the moon goddess, I was so worried." I said and we hugged again, this time for a much longer time.
"I'm still so confused but I'll figure it out later." She said to me after we pulled away. I let out a sigh of relief at the statement, smiling softly at her.
"Are you hungry? You should eat. You barely ate anything yesterday."
"Yeah, I am hungry..." She trailed off, deep in thought and a frown appeared on her face but she shook it off, beaming at me.
"Come with me, I'll get you some food at the maid's quarters, and then we'll go see the palace doctor's for your medicines" I offered, holding her hands as I pulled her along. She smiled at me, her strides matching mine.
"Thank you so much." She muttered and I nodded. Before long, we arrived at the maids quarters and I quickly went to bring some food for her to eat. Once it was ready, I placed it in front of her and she dug in, eating ravenously. While she ate, I ran to try palace doctor to collect some of her medicines and brought it to her. She accepted it with a nod of thanks, before taking it, cringing as the bitter taste of the medicine went down her throat.
"I don't think you should work today. You're still reeling from yesterday's event and besides there'll be too many questions and too many eyes on you if you do." I said to her. She thought about it for a while before nodding her head, agreeing with me.
"Perhaps you're right. I just hope the Alpha king doesn't mind." She muttered despondently. I smiled at her, softly patting her back.
"I don't think he will." I stated, secretly hoping it's true.
"Alright, if you say so. I'll use today and rest." She answered and I beamed.
"Great! I have to go now. I need to resume my duties, I'm already late for it." I said, standing up to my feet.
"Of course. Thank you for keeping me company. I really appreciate it." She said, her voice filled with sincerity.
"Oh, it's no trouble, princess. I'm glad to be of help." I said to her. "I'll see you later!" I yelled, bidding her goodbye as I rushed out of the maid's quarters. Crossing the courtyard once more, I'm about to enter the palace grounds when a voice calls me back.
"Amaris!" The voice bellows and I stiffened, my blood running cold, the hair on my neck standing on end. I'll recognize that voice anywhere! I swiveled my head to the direction of the voice, freezing on the spot as my eyes regarded the one person I thought I'll never see again for the rest of my life.
Duke Ethan Ravenwood, ruler of the Moonshadow Dukedom. What is he doing here?
My mouth went dry as I beheld the figure that stood before me. Duke Ethan Ravenwood, Ruler of the Moonshaoy Dukedom. What is he doing here? I wondered as I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. I held my breath, unable to form any words.
"Ethan?" I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath. The figure before me was unmistakable. Tall with chestnut brown hair that was brushed neatly to the back with a single trendril framing his beautifully carved out face, he was a man I had once called my mate.
The man who had rejected me. Now that I think about it, he seemed more powerfully built and intimidating than I remembered, I thought to myself as I stared at him. What is he doing here in the silver crest kingdom, miles away from his own dukedom? My thoughts spun like a whirlwind as I desperately sought answers.
His voice, as deep and resonant as ever, shattered the fragile silence. "Amaris," he acknowledged, his voice holding a note of restraint as he glowered down at me, his face pursed in displeasure.
Frustration welled within me. "Why are you here?" I demanded, unable to keep the bewilderment out of my voice. The man I had once loved had turned his back on me, leaving me to face the trials of life in the palace alone. Now, his unexpected presence left me feeling vulnerable and uncertain.
Ethan's gaze was inscrutable, his expression unreadable. He brushed aside my question with a simple inquiry of his own. "Why are you working as a maid here?" He asked, his voice filled with displeasure at my state.
"It's none of your business." I snapped back, fury swelling in me. "And, you're yet to answer my question. What are you doing here?" I gritted out through clenched teeth. His eyes widened but quickly narrowed as he replied me.
"I've been looking all over for you, only to find you here." He said, his frigid tone snapping me out of my trance. My eyes narrowed. "This won't do, you're coming with me." He stated as he advanced towards me. I took several steps back, glaring at him with all the hatred I could muster within me. The audacity of his proposal ignited a fiery anger within me.
"Stay away from me, Ethan." I declared, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and fear.
He froze, watching me with an inscrutable look on his face. "You had your chance and you chose to walk away when you rejected me. I won't let you hurt me again. Go back to where you belong, I don't need you in my life anymore." I stated. I watched as he opened his mouth to speak but snapped it shut when no words will come out.
"You're getting this all wrong." He started to speak in an attempt to salvage the tense situation. "What you're doing, doesn't suit you. Come with me and I can assure you a better life."
"Why should I?" I snapped.