Page 74 of A Clash of Stars

I could feel the disappointment pulsing off of him as I turned my attention back to his tender face. His mouth frowned with his soft pink lips, and I could see the tears welling in his eyes. So many unanswered questions and words to be said between us that would never be told. Two people loved each other at the wrong place and the wrong time.

“All right. Let’s go. Time for you to get some rest.”

Madok grabbed my hand to pull me up, and I tugged at his hand to sit back down. We stared at one another briefly, and then I kissed him. It would be the last time I would ever do it. He kissed me back with the same urgency as I felt the tears cascade down my cheeks. Our kiss was cut short by a cough.

“Time to go. You’ve had plenty of time,” Evander said, annoyed.

When we pulled back, we looked into each other’s eyes. Madok swiped away the tears from my face and kissed my forehead softly before I stood and walked away. I didn’t look back, and I didn’t wait for Evander to follow. When I made it to my room, I cried.

I couldn’t sleep, so I stayed up, thinking over the different situations, various endings, and what would happen tomorrow. When the sun rose, I readied myself to tell the King my choice.

Chapter 20

As I entered the throne room, I was flanked by two guards. I curtsied to the King and Queen of Aster and stood with such grace that I even surprised myself.

“Well, have you made a decision, princess?” The King barked the question out at me.

I nodded and took a deep breath, “I will marry your prince, but you will release Madok today, in the next hour, to be free. He will not be here for the wedding and will be safe. Those are my conditions.”

The King of Aster glanced at his wife, then stared at me momentarily, “Very well, deal.”

I sighed as I was ushered out of the room. From a distance, I saw Madok being brought outside of the castle. I watched him be escorted off the premises as I felt my heart tug for him. Madok glanced up at the windows for a final time, and I watched as he palmed his hands to his eyes and started to cry.

Our love story was over, but I wasn’t done shielding him. Not even close. Then, a group of armed men ran toward him, capturing him. They hit him across the back of the head, leaving him unconscious.

I screamed.

I banged on the windows and watched as they took him away. My whole world was falling around me. I fell to the ground clutching my chest. It burned so badly that I thought I was on fire. My hands started glowing light white as I screamed out in pain. The pain of losing someone. The pain of being angry. The pain of being out of control.

The floor rumbled around me as the rug underneath me became ash. My anger pushed through my hands and feet.

A calm collected voice spoke behind me, “We promised he would be safely brought away from the castle. Not that he would be safe outside of my castle grounds.”

When I turned to face Evander, I stood quickly and raised my hand back, ready to punch him. He captured my fist in his hands and laughed.

“Seriously? You’re going to punch me, Clara?” he scoffed.

I yelled at him, maybe even growled.

I was frantic. I was livid. “What the abyss, Evander? That is my Madok! You can’t do that. You can’t make a promise and then not fulfill it.”

He stepped closer to me. “Yes—Yes, I can. I fulfilled your promise, and now you will fulfill yours. See you at the altar, darling,” he spat at me.

He quickly turned his body around, walking away from me. I ran back to the window, and there wasn’t a trace of him. No men. No Madok.

I turned toward where I thought Evander’s room might be so I could fight with him a little more when the Queen met me.

“Oh, excuse me, Your Majesty, I didn’t know you were there,” I said in a surprised voice, tears streaming down my face. Her kind smile radiated towards me and a certain warmth ran through me, comforting me.

“Please, call me Amari. I am so glad I ran into you. Do you mind if we take a walk around the castle?” She asked me softly.

I glanced toward her, smiled, and nodded. “I want to take you to my favorite place on the property. The cellar. It’s filled with my favorite artwork and, of course, wine, just like your mother.”

I could hear the loving energy branching out to me. I was comforted at that moment, even with so much uncertainty. I thought of my mother, she also had a wine cellar. It was her favorite place to be.

We walked down into her cellar. In my mind, I thought it would look dark and dungeon-like, but it was the opposite. There were tall ceilings, fresh white paint coating the walls, the wine was organized along the wall and artwork hung on every space between. It almost reminded me of Athiana’s office in Claiborne. Similar taste.

How curious.

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