Ophelia and The Dragons

Chapter 30

"We were strange in love, her and I. Too wild to last. Too rare to die."

-Atticus-

***

Ophelia's P.O.V

It felt like any other day. I was staying at home that day, taking care of a few things and doing my studies when I suddenly heard screams from the outside.

I took a look at it and saw the soldiers approaching the tribes and they had killed some witches along the way. The sight was bloody. I had never seen such a grotesque sight before.

I could hear my parents telling me to get inside and hid myself. I refused and wanted to fight alongside with them but at the time, I was too powerless.

My parents used the little bit of their magic to transport me to the mountain. What nobody knew was what happened during the one hundred years I was alone before I met Helios.

At the beginning, I was extremely lonely and sad.

I would cry my hearts out in the forest and my only companions were some wild animals who took pity to me.

I wandered around before I finally built myself a house using magic. The first year I spent alone was the most difficult, but it was also the most heart wrenching because something else happened.

I was sitting by myself one day, foraging some herbs around the area that might be useful for practice.

While doing so, I sang the spring lullaby while remembering my tribe and other family members of mine. My chest was tight but I didn't want to stop singing.

"Ophelia?" I suddenly heard a voice that sounded familiar to me. I lifted my face and saw Eder standing there with a relieved expression.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me in for a hug.

"Lia, I thought I had lost you forever. I was so scared. I couldn't eat or sleep well the past year because I thought you've died. I'm so glad you're alive."

Instead of hugging him back, I pushed him away.

"Don't touch me! You're disgusting! You and the entire royal family are disgusting! You killed my family. You destroyed my people!" I screamed at him as tears fell down my cheek.

Seeing my reactions, he got on his knees with remorse.

"I didn't want it. I didn't want the war. It was my father, the emperor who gave out the order. I wanted to warn you but it was too late."

"When I arrived there, everything had been destroyed and you were gone. I had been trying to find you, dead or alive for a whole year but it's futile."

"Just now I was on a hunt and heard you singing so I came here and I'm so glad!"

I was filled with so much rage I didn't care about his explanation at all.

"Leave, Eder! Just leave me alone! You and your family had taken everything precious to me. What else do you want!?" I asked him.

"I'm sorry, Lia. I understand you must be upset. I was powerless a year ago, but my father's health has been deteriorating the past year."

"He might pass away soon and I would take over the throne as the new emperor. I would reform the law, Lia. I want to fulfill my promise to marry you." He took a step closer and I took a step back.

"Let's remain in contact, when I become the emperor, I will bring you to the palace and marry you. By then, no one can say a thing. We can be together, Lia."