Chapter 90: Everything We Did, We Did For You

Kal POV

When Mother said everything, she was not joking. The things she shared, the things her and Thalia did, I had never assumed that was possible, especially from Thalia, the one person I trusted most, one person who had my heart. I am no stranger to it. Over the centuries, my heart has broken, many times if I were to be truthful, but none worse than the day Catherine died. I know that a part of me, the good part, died with her. She brought out Kal I sometimes did not even know existed. A compassionate, selfless, loving creature that, as of now, I had no connection to. She was my conduit, my solace, and my reason to be a better man. And when she died, and the way she died, reversed me back to the Beast I always was, the beast part of me which I was always comfortable with. I missed her. Every day, every moment, every day the sun rose, it reminded me of the reflection and the way the sun itself set into her hair.. sparkles glistened like golden chains somehow wrapped within it. She was the reason I found love.

She was the one who encouraged me to love. Not her, that was easy. I loved her from the first moment I set my eyes on her. She encouraged me to love the world around us, to accept it as it is, to work to make it better. “When you love, truly and deeply, you will strive to become the best version of yourself. And Kal, I see so much in you, so much you keep hidden from other people. I see the light that blinds me, the love that makes me go weak in my knees, but also the love that fills my heart and my soul. You are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for”, she told me, and I believed her. I believed everything she said. Had she told me skies were green, I would have believed her that too. However, I knew the real truth. Love – true love, is an un-tamed force. You cannot chain it. You cannot control it. If we try to do so – it will destroy us.

So I let her be her, and I was me, albeit, I did try and curb my murderous tendencies and scars which befell me over centuries of my life before her. I fell in love, deeply, madly, and forever, the moment her green eyes looked at me, the moment she kissed me, the moment I held her in my arms. Never before did I feel so complete, so happy and, above all, I finally felt as if I belonged. I felt as if there was a long life ahead of us, a family ahead of us, our grandchildren playing on the porch kind-a-thing, even though I had never thought myself that type of a person ever before. With her – everything was possible. Without her – nothing mattered.

Beast and I both knew that the conversation with my Mother and Thalia ultimately led to one place and one place alone – Makaha.

I did not know what was waiting there for me, but I knew there was something. Losing the love of your life serves as a reminder, a reminder of our suffering, a reminder of our pain. The pain may fade, but our scars, our broken hearts, our soul in shambles, will always serve as a reminder of our suffering and burden. It will make us all different kinds of people. It will make our soul resolute never to feel that pain again, never to be wounded again. Ever since Catherine died, that has been my resolve and I have never gotten close to anyone. I had dalliances here and there, maybe a few one-night stands, but no relationships, nothing really of any consequence. I could not bring myself to trust again, to love again, or even to venture a chance to open my heart no matter what.

All these thoughts flashed through my head after hearing what Mother and Thalia revealed. And only one urge, one need remained. Makaha. We needed to go there. The Beast was screaming for it, and given what had happened, I too now wanted to know what was hidden there, or at least I presumed so. There was no need for them to deny me entry, there was no need for long-winded stories. Why are they delaying??? And why the reluctance?? After all, I am the ruler of this realm, so my request should not be ignored or snowballed. All of this made me anxious and suspicious, but even after it all, given the love they displayed for me, I wanted to give both Mother and Thalia the benefit of a doubt. However, I was no longer willing to play their game. I was no longer willing to listen to the stories. I needed to see things for myself, and everything within me screamed that Makaha was the answer, one way or another.

“Pretty much a show, of what you two, or should I say three, have played”, I said, nodding to all three of them, my Mother, Thalia and Elena. Elena hid her eyes from me while the other two remained eye-locked on me, simply showcasing they had more control. “I have heard your stories, I have heard your expectations and your explanations. Before I make my decision on what I am to do, I remain steadfast in my initial request. If I have to ask again, it will not be a request. I will make MY WAY there, and trust me, none of you will like it!!!” I deadpanned, looking straight at both of them.

“My son….” I heard my mother’s voice, but I had lost patience for her stories. “I have spoken my piece. I will not ask again. You both have hid things from me. Secrets. I believe secrets are like poison. Poison needs to be expelled so that the body can survive. Yet you remain secretive, which only leads me to one conclusion. You wish me under your control, under your poisonous tongue. ME???!!! THE FIRST DRAGON??? DO YOU NOT REALIZE I CAN OBLITERATE YOU BOTH!!!” I screamed, and saw them both shudder.

“Orcas will take us to Makaha Kal. But, I need you to remember one thing please”, Thalia said, falling on her knees before me. “Everything we did, we did for you!”