Chapter 11:
Ava made her way out of her ship. She had finally landed home. She looked around and sighed loudly. There was nothing that could lighten her mood after this afternoon. Zan was avoiding her. But why? What had she done to deserve that kind of treatment? She thought for a moment that Zan had loved her. Perhaps she had read too much into it. But her feelings didn't lie. She knew that the way she felt around him was no lie. All she needed to do was figure out what was going on. She stepped into the palace, everything seemed to be running normally. Well, she might as well prepare for the event the next evening. She made her way up to her bed chamber and closed the door behind her.
"Ava." She spun her head around in fear at the deep sound of someone's voice in the darkness.
"Who are you?" She leaned back against the door and reached for the handle.
"I am your savior." His voice rung familiar chords and she tried to look harder.
"Show yourself." A shadow came out of the darkness and stood in the light of the sun from her window. His tall figure shadowed over her, his long dark shaul covering his features. She looked around and closed her eyes. The lights turned on and the window was open. He stood, then slowly he removed the hood covering his face.
"Kivar..." The word almost seemed choked in her throat. Why was he here?
"Surprise." The grin he held never changed. She felt herself drift back to the days of the old moons, when Zan's father was still King. It had been Kivar who had killed him. He had been exiled and then imprisoned. Especially after they had found out about his relationship to the princess, Vilandra. He was never to return and so he became the leader of the Rebel Alliance. His charming looks and demanding ways got him to places no one had dreamed of.
"What are you doing here?" She tried to keep her calm as his dark green eyes penetrated into her own. He was dangerous and relentless but he was gorgeous. It was a sin.
"I decided I've lived in the darkness long enough. I need your help Ava. We are both in the same situation here. I can get you what you want. I can give you Zan. But I need your help in return." Ava listened carefully to the rich voice coming from the handsome man before her. Part of her knew that there was something wrong with that. That she was afraid of his demands. She truly loved Zan and never wanted to do anything to hurt him. But she felt that there was someone in her way, and she was willing to do whatever it took to get them out.
"What do you propose?"
"I want to see Vilandra again. I have to see her again. It is the basis of my existence. I have gone too long without seeing her... touching her. You know what it's like don't you? To need someone so badly." He took a step closer and she felt his scent embrace her helplessly.
"If you want to see her so badly why don't you just contact her?"
"I would be killed if anyone even suspected I was near Antarian ground. But you can help me. You can help me get in touch with her. To see her. All I need are a few moments with her. Ava please, for all the times I helped you as a child, I cared for you as my own sister. I am being haunted by her. I dream of Antar... of Vilandra's face."
"Of how you'd rule with her in your hands?" Ava felt some anger build up in her. She would not be used to tear down a kingdom. She would not be accomplice in breaking apart a royal family that was doing good for all of humanity. She simply refused.
"Of course, everyone has dreams of becoming something meaningful. But what is a man without a beautiful lady by his side?" He stepped up closer and finally she felt his body upon hers, his warm breath and green eyes too close for comfort.
"I do not think I can Kivar. It is treason to go against the orders of the King."
"I would have married you, had you not been desperately in love with Zan. I would make you mine and appreciate you like he never could. He has barely looked twice at you since the ball." Her eyes widened at his comment and a shiver of fear went down her spine.
"How do you...?"
"I know everything Ava. Everything." She closed her eyes in thought and turned away.
"Is it a woman?" She was reluctant to ask but she felt her stomach twist at the thought.
"Yes." She lowered her head in anguish at the sudden heart wrenching thought of losing the man that she loved. The man she always felt treated her as second best. He had been distracted by a woman long enough.
"Do you know who she is?"
"No. But I can easily find out." His eyes were jumping with excitement. He could see Ava slowly crumbling through her blue eyes.
"What must I do?"
"Take me to her. And I will find out all you need. Then, I will get you Zan." He seemed so sure. Everything he said about Vilandra convinced Ava that he wanted to see her. Her heart was screaming she was right, but her head was screaming how wrong she would be to do this.
"There is a ball, tomorrow evening. I will take you there, then you are on your own. It is as much as I can do now." She breathed loudly and felt the butterflies in her stomach increase.
"That is enough." He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Good night, sweet Ava." He put on his dark hood and headed out of the window into the dusk.
Ava made her way out of her ship. She had finally landed home. She looked around and sighed loudly. There was nothing that could lighten her mood after this afternoon. Zan was avoiding her. But why? What had she done to deserve that kind of treatment? She thought for a moment that Zan had loved her. Perhaps she had read too much into it. But her feelings didn't lie. She knew that the way she felt around him was no lie. All she needed to do was figure out what was going on. She stepped into the palace, everything seemed to be running normally. Well, she might as well prepare for the event the next evening. She made her way up to her bed chamber and closed the door behind her.
"Ava." She spun her head around in fear at the deep sound of someone's voice in the darkness.
"Who are you?" She leaned back against the door and reached for the handle.
"I am your savior." His voice rung familiar chords and she tried to look harder.
"Show yourself." A shadow came out of the darkness and stood in the light of the sun from her window. His tall figure shadowed over her, his long dark shaul covering his features. She looked around and closed her eyes. The lights turned on and the window was open. He stood, then slowly he removed the hood covering his face.
"Kivar..." The word almost seemed choked in her throat. Why was he here?
"Surprise." The grin he held never changed. She felt herself drift back to the days of the old moons, when Zan's father was still King. It had been Kivar who had killed him. He had been exiled and then imprisoned. Especially after they had found out about his relationship to the princess, Vilandra. He was never to return and so he became the leader of the Rebel Alliance. His charming looks and demanding ways got him to places no one had dreamed of.
"What are you doing here?" She tried to keep her calm as his dark green eyes penetrated into her own. He was dangerous and relentless but he was gorgeous. It was a sin.
"I decided I've lived in the darkness long enough. I need your help Ava. We are both in the same situation here. I can get you what you want. I can give you Zan. But I need your help in return." Ava listened carefully to the rich voice coming from the handsome man before her. Part of her knew that there was something wrong with that. That she was afraid of his demands. She truly loved Zan and never wanted to do anything to hurt him. But she felt that there was someone in her way, and she was willing to do whatever it took to get them out.
"What do you propose?"
"I want to see Vilandra again. I have to see her again. It is the basis of my existence. I have gone too long without seeing her... touching her. You know what it's like don't you? To need someone so badly." He took a step closer and she felt his scent embrace her helplessly.
"If you want to see her so badly why don't you just contact her?"
"I would be killed if anyone even suspected I was near Antarian ground. But you can help me. You can help me get in touch with her. To see her. All I need are a few moments with her. Ava please, for all the times I helped you as a child, I cared for you as my own sister. I am being haunted by her. I dream of Antar... of Vilandra's face."
"Of how you'd rule with her in your hands?" Ava felt some anger build up in her. She would not be used to tear down a kingdom. She would not be accomplice in breaking apart a royal family that was doing good for all of humanity. She simply refused.
"Of course, everyone has dreams of becoming something meaningful. But what is a man without a beautiful lady by his side?" He stepped up closer and finally she felt his body upon hers, his warm breath and green eyes too close for comfort.
"I do not think I can Kivar. It is treason to go against the orders of the King."
"I would have married you, had you not been desperately in love with Zan. I would make you mine and appreciate you like he never could. He has barely looked twice at you since the ball." Her eyes widened at his comment and a shiver of fear went down her spine.
"How do you...?"
"I know everything Ava. Everything." She closed her eyes in thought and turned away.
"Is it a woman?" She was reluctant to ask but she felt her stomach twist at the thought.
"Yes." She lowered her head in anguish at the sudden heart wrenching thought of losing the man that she loved. The man she always felt treated her as second best. He had been distracted by a woman long enough.
"Do you know who she is?"
"No. But I can easily find out." His eyes were jumping with excitement. He could see Ava slowly crumbling through her blue eyes.
"What must I do?"
"Take me to her. And I will find out all you need. Then, I will get you Zan." He seemed so sure. Everything he said about Vilandra convinced Ava that he wanted to see her. Her heart was screaming she was right, but her head was screaming how wrong she would be to do this.
"There is a ball, tomorrow evening. I will take you there, then you are on your own. It is as much as I can do now." She breathed loudly and felt the butterflies in her stomach increase.
"That is enough." He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Good night, sweet Ava." He put on his dark hood and headed out of the window into the dusk.
