The Destiny of Amalah (20 page)

Michael went in search of Garrick and found him in Rakan’s room. Rakan had been treated by the healer and was now in bed asleep. Michael knocked and entered to see Garrick watching quietly over his son.

‘How is he?’ Michael asked.

‘In a lot of pain,’ Garrick replied feeling pained himself, having seen his son in such a bad way. ‘The healer Dariel says he should remain in bed for two days, but it will take the wounds and bruises longer than that to heal. She could have killed him,’ Garrick said quietly, but the simmering anger within him was unmistakable.

‘He could have killed her too,’ Michael said evenly.

Garrick shot Michael a glare and his face was now crimson and incandescent with rage.

‘Garrick I know the Empress is at fault, she knows it too. I am just saying that they both discovered they had magical powers, unfortunately for both of them they discovered that power in darkness and rage. Fortunately neither of them killed the other but both of them need to be shown how to harness their power properly.’

‘I know that Michael, but hear me, when Sarah died I thought I was going to die too. I loved her;
still
love her – like no other woman. Luckily I had Rakan and Kalon. They were my world and they still are. I love them and would do anything to protect them; I would lay down my life for my children Michael. Today the Empress nearly killed my child – I cannot and will not think of her needs today,’ Garrick said, turning his head back towards Rakan and watching over him indicating to Michael that any conversation regarding the Empress was not going to happen.

Michael turned around and made his way to the bedroom door to leave and just as he outstretched his arm to open the door, Garrick spoke as if he had read Michael’s mind.

‘I remember that I swore allegiance to Kai and his daughters, I do not retract from that.’

‘I know my friend,’ Michael said before opening the door and leaving Garrick with his son.

He went in search of Ellora to see how she was faring. He knocked and entered her room to see her sitting up in bed holding a compress to the back of her head.

‘Princess are you alright?’ Michael asked alarmed.

‘I banged my head when I hit the floor. Dariel gave me this compress, he said it will help to reduce the swelling and help me to heal at the same time.’

Michael came further into the room and sat beside Ellora. ‘You have had a very bad day indeed princess – is there anything I can do for you?’

‘Thank you Michael but no, I am fine. Actually, there is one thing you can do for me.’

‘Name it.’

‘Look after my sister.’

‘I promise.’

‘You are good for her Michael and besides, she
always
listens to you.’

‘Always?’ he said sighing heavily and raising his eyebrow.

‘Always,’ she said again. ‘How is Rakan?’ Ellora asked, changing the subject.

‘He is sleeping now. Dariel says he should stay in bed for two days but his wounds and bruises will take a bit longer than that to heal, but he will recover.’

‘This is all my fault Michael!’ Ellora said, as she felt a pang of guilt come over her.

‘No princess, do not think that.’

‘It’s true, I asked Rakan to come with me you see. I wanted to confront Amara, but I could not, or I dared not do it alone and so I asked Rakan to come with me. I just wanted to get Amara to react, to talk to me, to tell me what was troubling her, but now look what I have gone and done.’

‘Princess you were not to know – how could you. Rakan and Amara did not even know that they possessed such power, how could you?’

‘I could not, but still I feel bad. Look at the harm I have caused and I still did not reach Amara,’ Ellora said, her frustrations beginning to show.

‘You did not cause the damage princess, Amara and Rakan did. But you did get through to your sister; I have spoken to her at length and whatever you did you reached her. Something inside of her has awoken and she has now realised that she was on the rocky road to self-destruction.’

‘How is she now?’

‘She is feeling ashamed and scared and I think embarrassed at what she has done.’

‘I should go to her.’

‘Yes, you should, but not this night. Your sister needs time to herself. A lot has happened today and I think she should be given this night to think things through. We can all be there for her tomorrow.’

‘Then I shall leave her,’ Ellora said agreeably.

‘And I shall leave you so that you may get some rest princess. If you need anything at all, or if you feel unwell, don’t hesitate to get your maids to call on me. I will check on you later anyway, and do not worry about your sister Ellora, she will be fine.’

‘Thank you,’ Ellora said. She outstretched her arms and Michael gave her a hug and when she held him, she did not mean to but she caught a flash of how Michael was feeling and before she could stop herself she blurted out the words ‘You love her – Amara – you are –
in
love with her.’

‘Princess,’ Michael said taken aback, as he disentangled himself from her and looked at her.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said humbly. ‘I touch people and I know how they feel…I don’t mean to,’ she said beginning to feel ashamed. ‘My empathy seems to be increasing…I…’

‘It’s alright Ellora,’ Michael reassured her. ‘I know this is a difficult time for you.

‘Thank you – but I am not wrong am I?’ she asked as an after thought. ‘You are in love with her aren’t you?’

‘I cannot deny it,’ Michael said resignedly. ‘You have already felt it and you know it to be true.’

Ellora smiled: ‘I am so happy.’

‘Princess it is a love that cannot be for many reasons. Your sister is still so young and for love to grow it must be requited.’

‘But she loves you,’ Ellora said, beginning to object to Michael’s stance.

‘Yes, that may be but she is not
in
love with me.’

‘Oh Michael,’ Ellora said quite frustrated. She was about to say something else but Michael stopped her.

‘Princess grant me one favour. Do not mention what we have spoken of just now – to anyone.’

‘Until when?’

‘Until ever, your sister has much to deal with right now and I must remain a constant in her life as her advisor and friend, so please, do not tell anyone of my feelings for her.’

‘Very well Michael, I promise,’ she said, rather disappointed.

‘Goodnight princess,’ he said warmly.

‘Goodnight Michael,’ Ellora said, as she placed the cold compress at the side of the bed and lay on her side and closed her eyes.

Michael watched as Ellora settled herself into the bed and then he blew out some of the candles in the room and left her to sleep. The palace was quiet now and only the guard seemed to be around. Michael was tired but not ready for bed yet, so much had happened in one day and he had a million thoughts running through his mind about the day’s events.

He made his way to the front left tower and climbed the numerous steps until he reached the top. He entered a dark and dank room that was cold and miserable. In the centre were a table and some stools. He took a stool and brought it to the tower window and gazed out of it and there he sat for hours thinking about what had taken place that day and about Amara and himself. “Amara and me, if there could be such a thing,” he thought.

Everything had changed now; Amara and Rakan had magical powers. Ellora was an empath, and he, well he had been made to face the fact that he was in love with the Empress. “What a difference a day makes!” he thought to himself.

A new day began in Amalah and with it brought the winds of change, not just in circumstances but for certain people’ they felt different from yesterday as though a part of them they never knew existed had just awoken and for Amara and Rakan this was especially true.

Rakan awoke to find his father and Kalon watching over him. Garrick leaned forward and grasped hold of his son’s arm.

‘Good morning son, how are you feeling?’

Rakan shuffled slightly in his bed and the pain registered with him and he grimaced. ‘Fine thank you, better than yesterday father – but still sore.’

‘I am glad you are feeling better. Dariel says you should stay in bed for two days and that you will recover.’

‘Two days in bed,’ Rakan groaned. ‘I shall go insane after one.’

‘I will keep you company,’ Kalon piped up.

‘As will I,’ Garrick said.

‘Thank you Kalon and father, but would it not be easier for all three of us if I were out of bed.’

‘No,’ Garrick said firmly. ‘Rakan, you were very lucky; you could have been killed as it is you were badly hurt. Do not down play this; take the time you need to recover.’

‘But father, I shall surely die being cooped up in here,’ Rakan said, objecting to his confinement.

‘That was not a suggestion Rakan. When I say take the time to recover I mean you will take the time to recover,’ Garrick said gently but firmly.

‘But father.’

‘No buts Rakan. You shall remain in bed for two days and that is the end of the matter.’

Rakan remained still and silent. He knew when his father had brought any matter to an end it truly was the end and he dared not defy him. He sighed resignedly and looked at his father

‘Very well,’ he said conceding.

‘Why did Amara hurt you?’ Kalon asked inquisitively.

‘Because she was hurting and upset herself and she lashed out,’ Rakan said looking at his little brother.

‘I never knew Amara was so bad,’ Kalon said.

Garrick looked at his sons but remained silent and Rakan looked at Kalon for a few seconds before he spoke:

‘She is not bad Kalon, she was very upset and very much in pain. I think she did not know how to handle it and so she kept it to herself until she couldn’t keep it any more and her feelings exploded.’

‘But why hurt you?’ Kalon asked.

‘She didn’t mean to hurt me; I think she meant to hurt Ellora. I just got in the way.’

‘You mean she meant to hurt her own sister,’ Kalon said horrified. ‘That’s a really cruel and depicable thing to do.’

‘You mean despicable,’ Rakan said gently.

‘Yes, anyway that was wicked of her, how could she hurt her own sister Rakan? How could she?’

‘I think she was hurting so badly she didn’t know what she was doing.’

‘Well I wouldn’t hurt you or father – no matter how much I was hurting,’ Kalon insisted.

‘And I would never hurt you Kalon,’ Rakan said. ‘I might tease you every now and then but I would never hurt you.’

‘My two sons I love you more than life itself, I would never hurt either of you and I will do whatever it takes to protect you,’ Garrick told them.

‘I love you to father,’ Kalon said hugging his father. Garrick stroked his son’s hair and kissed him on the head. He kept hold of his young son and took hold of Rakan’s hand again. ‘I mean it, you boys mean everything to me.’

The three men stayed in Rakan’s room, talking, playing games and keeping Rakan company and taking their meals together. Rakan was moved that Kalon had stayed with him all day; he knew how much his little brother hated to be cooped up, he was worse than he and he also had a very short attention span when he got bored – which made his company even more meaningful.

Amara opened her eyes early in the morning, she smiled a small smile at waking up on a new day, but then the events of yesterday invaded her mind and she reminded herself of what she had done. She bolted upright, the smile now gone, and she was, for a short while trying to decipher whether these things that she had done had been a dream or whether it had really happened and when she realised that it had really happened she lay back down and pulled the covers over her self.

She did not want to get up and face the world, how could she after what she had done? She was not thinking only about yesterday but of all the days passed that she had behaved so badly. She remained under her covers hiding from the world and thinking. She wished she could stay there for all time but she knew that it was just not possible.

Amara let the memory of yesterday come flooding back to her and then she recalled her actions in the days before that and whenever she remembered something else; she cringed with embarrassment. She was flinching and cringing at everything she had done over the last few months and torturing herself as she remembered her sharp tongue and short temper and how she had made others feel around her.

Amara wished she had not opened her eyes this morning, she wished she could take everything back and she wished she had not done what she had done. A part of her knew that wishing was futile. “What was done was done and could not be undone,” she thought to herself and so she rose, knowing that all she could do was make amends and build bridges and go on from there. What she had done would not leave her but she was going to try and put things right.

Amara bathed and got dressed and rather than sit down to breakfast she made her way to Ellora’s room, she knocked on the door and heard Ellora shout come in and then she turned the handle slowly and steeled herself before she opened the door and stepped inside.