I stood a few feet away, watching them. All of them. Mom cheering the bride, my father shaking Blake's hand, and the bride smiling as she threw her bouquet. It was already June and, so much has happened since then. I ran away, found my mate, and turned sixteen. Now, here I am, watching my own wedding. Aaron and I had to leave our home in the woods. It was no longer safe there since my family was still searching for me.
Admittedly, the wedding was beautiful. It was held in the garden and was decorated in gold and burgundy. The royal colors of Sian. I had no doubt that the event was arranged by my mother. I bet the fake bride that looked exactly like me was her doing as well.
"She looks like you, yet she doesn't have your charm," I shrugged at Aaron.
"To them, it's me down there. Looking like I'm in love with Blake and my father welcoming him into the family,"
"Getting married at sixteen, is that really normal?" I nodded at his question, "yes. Especially when you're from a family like mine."
"Our family has been around for a long time. Truthfully speaking, the throne used to be ours until my great grandfather decided to give it up one day. Too much power corrupts our soul was his reason. Whatever that meant," I glanced briefly at Aaron before looking back at the wedding, "Us getting married at a young age is like an insurance for the family. To protect our political interests and our duty to the crown. That's why they won't stop until they've found me,"
Aaron swings our duffle bags over his shoulders, "Then let's keep moving then, time to go." I looked over my shoulder to glance at my family one last time. The only person who seemed to noticed our presence was Julian. What was weird was his look of desperation when he started to bolt towards us. Aaron and I quickly made our way through the makeshift path. We were gone by the time he made his way up the hill.
We were gone and, so were our old lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A month later, we settled in the kingdom of Lune. A remote Kingdom in the far east. Unlike Sian, their royal family was just as poor as the commoners. The land was beyond recovery. They depended heavily on donations from nearby kingdoms and, rations were few. No soil was fertile enough for farming and, their streets were covered with people begging others to buy the little they have to offer. Before we crossed over their borders, Aaron made me ripped my clothing, and eventually, I understood why. The best dress I've seen so far had at least five holes. Here, in Lune, if only your big toes were peaking from your shoe, it was considered a blessing.
"Why don't these people fight? They could start a rebellion against the royal family," Aaron and I were walking hand in hand through a slightly dark alley. In the corner, an old man rocked himself to sleep while fanning away fleas. Aaron's face became serious, "Ari, look at them. You might as well call them walking corpses. For most of them, their bodies are so weak the only thing left for them is to die. "
"How did they even get to this state? How...,"
"What do you expect? They're victims of war. This was where the battle between Dualves and humans took place. Where your family led their armies and fought them. Have you forgot or were you asleep in history class?"
"But that was over fifteen years ago. My great grandfather and even my grandfather passed away since then,"
"And these people are still paying for it. After they won, that was it, everyone left, leaving them behind to suffer from the aftermath,"
Deep down, I felt like he was blaming me as if everything here was my own doing. Maybe that was not his intention but, I still felt like he was deliberately hurting my feelings.
"The Dualves were dangerous and had to be stopped,"
The fury in Aaron's eyes made me shrink away, "look around you, Ari. What is the difference between Dualves and humans? They act the same, speak the same and even eat the same food, yet still, your family left their own kind to suffer and, you still call them dangerous,"
"They brought evil to our kingdom and corrupt our souls,"
"No, the only thing evil is you, humans,"
"Us human? You speak like you're not one of us,"
"Whatever. I'm sorry, I don't want to argue anymore. Let's hurry back home. It's getting late."
Aaron and I made it in time home. This place is most dangerous at night.
They say the feelings we hide is buried deep inside you but what what about those feeling we are forced to accept? Bonds we share are those ties that brings us together wheter we like it or not but for me its nothing more that curse that needs to be broken.
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