The Lies that Made Us

Amelia

She knew she should be afraid, but it was hard to feel any fear after the last few years. She had lived so many days in dread and terror that the feeling was hard to find. Amelia had passed out sometime between traveling from the village by the sea to arriving at the Palace of Night. There was some memory in her head of Dugan telling her that was where he was taking her. She could not remember how she had gotten into the small dark room she now sat no matter how much she thought about it.

She could tell she had been thrown into the room as the skin on the palms of her hands and her knees were raw. She thought maybe her left side ached, but it was hard to tell as Amelia had been in some sort of pain since being stabbed by the shadow warrior. The main sensation she felt cover her was worry.

She worried for both Brynn and Owain. She knew they both would feel some sort of responsibility for her being taken when in reality, it was her own fault. She couldn’t understand how she didn’t know Dugan was a dweller. She had been trained to recognize the darkness in others, yet the man had been close to her for days, and she had not known.

Of course, Dugan had lived in the palace for years right under Master Elgan’s nose. It worried her that the old master had not known. Perhaps he had but kept it to himself. If that were the case, it could mean something even worse than Elgan’s ability being avoided. She had thought Elgan was up to no good of some sort since he had lied and said she killed the king. She knew he could tell she had nothing to do with it, but her master said it was her when asked.

If Elgan was hiding not only the truth of the king’s death but the fact that at least one dweller lived in the palace, what did it mean? Did Gareth know as well? She trusted Gareth even less than Elgan and always thought he cared for no one but himself. She believed he would do anything to benefit himself, but how would having a dweller close help him? Achilians hated people from Evalmore, especially Light Bearers.

Amelia knew it would do no good to dwell on it now. She needed to focus on the problem at hand. The room she was in was almost completely dark. The only light came in the form of a sliver from the edge of the door. She sat on the hard stone floor, seeing that the walls were very close by. It was not a cell, but not a bedroom either. It was more like an empty closet. No matter where she was, she needed to find a way to get out. She knew Brynn and Owain would come for her, and she had to find a way to escape and perhaps locate the young prince so she could find them and leave when they came.

Before she could t form any plan, the door opened, and she was momentarily blinded by the light that infiltrated the room. Three women dressed in black grabbed her and took her out of the room into a larger one. There was a fireplace, a bed, and the largest tub she had ever seen filled to the brim with water. Two women held her as another stood in front of her, unbuttoning her dress. She started to struggle but then felt a bolt of pain flow through her.

She looked over the shoulders of the woman to see Dugan and another man staring at her. They each had one hand raised, and she could tell they were using their magic to keep her subdued and her power locked inside of her. She tried to fight through the darkness that surrounded her, but her light could only push so far. She cried out before slumping down as the two women held her upright, deciding to save her strength for later.

As the two men watched her with their hands up, the woman finished unbuttoning her dress, and the two who held her arms pulled it off her body. The woman in front of her pulled out a knife Amelia knew had come from her. It was the one Brynn had given her. She felt the anticipation of pain, but none came as the woman used the knife to slit her shift up the front and pull it from her body.

Without any words, the women took her to the tub. They pushed her towards it, and Amelia stood next to it naked as everyone in the room stared at her. She finally gripped the edge of the tub and got in, finding the water was so hot it was caused her to hiss as she eased her body into it.

Three of the woman scrubbed her body with some sort of rough sponge. Amelia wasn’t sure how she had any skin left when they were done. The other elaborately braided her hair down her back. When they were all done, she was yanked up out of the water to the center of the room. Two of the women roughly dried her as one watched. The other brought forth a deep blue gown and placed it over Amelia’s head. It fell loosely around her frame, the light material feeling as though it barely touched her raw skin. The dress was tied tight around her neck and her back, leaving her arms and some of her sides exposed.

Amelia looked down at the blue fabric and saw little silver specks all over it. It almost looked like the night sky full of stars. The woman in front of her nodded at the other two, and they left the room.

“The sacrifice is prepared, keeper of the night,” said the woman as she bowed to Dugan.

“Then go to serve Chiardian another night,” said Dugan, and the woman exited the room.

Dugan walked closer to Amelia before circling her. “Light Bearer, do you know what will happen tonight?”

“I don’t see how I can as no one has said a word to me since you brought me here,” replied Amelia.

“You are going to receive a great honor due to your immense power. All that magic you hold will be given to the true goddess Chiardian, and a new era will begin in our world. None of it could be possible without you.”

“What do you mean my magic will be given to your goddess?” asked Amelia.

“It’s pretty straightforward, isn’t it. Tonight at Shadows Eve, you will be presented to the goddess and your magic given to her. The ten most powerful dwellers in the world and the Night himself will take it from you.”

“And you expect me to just let you?” Amelia laughed. “You can’t think I won’t fight back.”

“You can try, but it will only cause you more pain and prolong the inevitable. You cannot deny our power, especially that of the Night. You can only hope and pray he will show you mercy and leave you with some spark of life.”

“And who is this Night person you refer to?”

“He is the leader of us all, the strongest Dweller in this kingdom and world. No one can resist his power, not even the most powerful among the other orders.”

Amelia smirked. “I doubt that very much, but I will humor you. You are the keeper of the Night?”

Dugan nodded. “I serve him as his humble servant. I assist him however he commands. My life is his.”

“For your service, I suppose you get an enormous amount of power?”

He stepped even closer to her and moved her braid off her shoulder. “Some other benefits as well.”

Amelia narrowed her eyes. “I will not be one of them.”

Dugan let the back of his hand brush against her jaw. “No, you could never be one of them. The Night would not permit it. Now, come, it is time you were put into your place of honor.” He put his hand on Amelia’s arm, and she felt his dark magic work its way around her wrist and up until it rested on her shoulder. The other man in the room came to her other side and did the same.

They walked her out of the room and into the halls of the palace. Amelia looked around as they moved to see walls made out of dark stone with silver veins running through them. The floors were made of flat rocks that were a mixture of gray and white. It was a strange place, but she had to admit there was some beauty to it.

They stopped as they came to a tall set of heavy wooden doors. There were two guards on either side, both dressed in black leathers, with swords at their sides. They bowed towards Dugan before opening the doors. Amelia walked in to find a crowd of people inside. They were all dressed in dark colors of black, deep red, blue, and gray. The ladies wore dresses much like Amelia’s, though some were more provocative, showing more skin than fabric. The men dressed in heavy leathers. Amelia was escorted by Dugan and the other man through the crowd to the front of the room, where a throne made out of dark marble sat on a dais.

As she moved through the crowd, many stopped what they were doing to stare at her. She glanced at a few to see women with overly painted faces, trying to hide their age or make themselves look more mature. Female servants who appeared very young walked around the room in loose black garments handing out drinks or food to those around. There was a heavy smell of smoke and drink in the air, and Amelia could see many held pipes, even some of the women. Some already seemed on the verge of losing their senses from drink or whatever was in their pipes.

As she got closer to the front, a few younger men ventured closer to her, looking her up and down. One reached out to touch her, but Dugan turned his head, and the man was pushed back by some invisible force. Amelia could feel the darkness hover in the air around her, and she took a deep breath to clear her head.

They came to the stairs of the dais, and Dugan pulled her up. He took her to the back, next to the throne.

“Stand here, and do not move,” said Dugan harshly. “There are plenty of powerful dwellers nearby, and they have been told what to do if you show any signs of not complying.”

Amelia only stared straight out into the crowd, seeing that most had gone back to laughing, drinking, and smoking, though a few continued to stare at her. One man in particular dressed in black leather and a heavy cloak caught her eyes towards the back of the room. Something about how he moved was familiar to her. She dared to move a few steps forward to get a better look.

It took her only a moment more to realize who it was. She held her breath as she almost cried out his name in fear, not for herself, but for him. After all that she had been through, it was easy for her to realize at that moment that her world still revolved around Brynn. She shook her head slightly as their eyes met, and she prayed to her goddess that Dugan would not spot him.

She felt Dugan grab her arm. “You will come with me, my lady. The Night wants to speak with you alone.”

“Now?” she asked.

“When else?”

She felt Dugan tug at her, and she moved her feet towards the side of the Dais as she kept her eyes on Brynn. Dugan pulled her down the Dais and to a door. She walked through it into a hall, turning left and walking down it. Dugan stopped at the door near the end and knocked. Amelia looked at him, but he only stared at the door as it opened slowly to reveal no one there.

Dugan stepped into the room. “I have done as you asked, great one. She is here now.”

Amelia heard a low voice that sounded so familiar it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “Bring her in and leave.”

Dugan grabbed Amelia and pulled her into the room. She looked ahead to see a man staring at the fire, his hood pulled up. She turned to Dugan, who gave her a smirk before leaving and shutting the door. Amelia stood still as the figure turned. Even before he pulled down his hood, she knew who he was.

“I hope you were not harmed. I told him to make sure you were not hurt,” said Gareth as he moved towards her.

“What are you doing here, and what is this Night business?” asked Amelia.

“It is who I am, Amelia. It has been for a while.”

She shook her head. “You lead these people? You turned to the darkness? When?”

“A long time ago, when I left home to find myself at eighteen. I traveled the world, trying to find my place. I found it here. The power inside me surged as I met the other dwellers and worshipped Chiardian. This is who I am meant to be,” said Gareth.

“You just accepted the darkness inside of you? You didn’t even try to fight it?”

“Why would I fight it? I embraced it, and it filled me with power like no other. I trained for a year here and found I was stronger than any of them, stronger than anyone could remember. I found my place,” said Gareth.

“But you are our king. You already had a place.”

Gareth laughed. “You think my father wanted me to be king? He never liked me, Amelia. You know he did not.”

“Your father loved you. He was concerned for you and the paths you were taking, but he cared about you. You were his heir.”

“Not if he got this way.” He stopped directly in front of her, his blue eyes staring at her, barely even blinking.

“What do you mean?”

Gareth took her hand. “I knew my father was fond of you, but I had no idea how fond until Master Elgan found the king’s little red journal. I believe my father thought more of you than anyone, though Brynn was a close second for some reason.

“He wanted you to rule, Amelia. He felt you had more skills and a better heart, as he called it, than either of his sons. When you gravitated towards Brynn, the crown that was rightfully mine went towards him.”

Amelia looked down. “No, it’s not true. It cannot be. He never told me any of this.”

“It is true. I saw it for myself. My father wanted you to be queen, and because of your choice, he wanted Brynn to rule after him. He sent my brother away in hopes he would mature in power and sense. He hoped when Brynn came back to marry him to you, so he could officially proclaim Brynn as his heir, leaving me with nothing.” Gareth laughed again. “Well, not nothing. My father did not know all I have here.”

Amelia gasped. “You didn’t do it, did you, Gareth. Pease tell me you didn’t kill your father.”

“I didn’t want to do it, Amelia, and I didn’t directly. I tried to win your favor at first. I thought I could convince you to turn to me with Brynn gone. I figured if you did not hear from him, you would think he had forgotten you, and you would turn to me.”

“You stopped his letters from coming?”

Gareth nodded. “You should take it as a compliment. I never would have gone to such trouble for any other woman. I stopped yours from getting to him and his from getting to you. I even kept my father’s from him in fear they would say the king’s wishes. It was not easy. It took many of my contacts throughout the world.”

“You are mad. This is madness.”

“No. I was very sensible of what I would lose should Brynn get the crown. I had a chance to finally combine our kingdom with Achilia, light and darkness together, but I needed you. You wouldn’t do your part, though, so I suppose in a way you are responsible for my father’s death.”

“What did you do, Gareth?”

“I did nothing but play on the fear of old Elgan. He knew your power was strong, and he knew you would over take him as master before long. If the man lost his place, he would eventually lose his power and life. He is old, and without his magic, he would be feeble.”

“You convinced Master Elgan to kill your father,” said Amelia.

Gareth nodded, “And frame you for the deed. I did not like that part, but it was the only way to get him to do as I wished. I could not do it. Any use of my magic would have shown the other Light Bearers what I was, including you. I didn’t wish for you to be blamed, Amelia. At least I was able to spare your life.”

“You tortured me in that tower. You had me beaten until I gave you what you wanted.”

“I admit I went too far, but you were the one thing I wanted in this life I could not have. That is the one time I went mad, but it was because of how strongly I feel for you. I have tried to keep my distance from you despite our intimate times. I know I was overly cruel towards you, but it was to guard myself against any feelings for you. It did not work.”

“You do not have any feelings for me, Gareth. You have shown me that over and over,” said Amelia as she turned away.

He grabbed her and spun her around, placing his arms around her. “I love you, Amelia. I know I do. You were who I was meant to be with. I can feel my power ignite in your presence. Do you know how hard it was not to show myself all those times we were together? You stir up things within me beyond what I thought.

“I wanted to let you go. I had Brynn tipped off about you still being alive in the palace and had Prince Aayden taken so I could get rid of you both on this journey, but as soon as you left, I knew I had made a mistake. When Dugan wrote me to tell me you had defeated the shadow warriors but were grievously injured, I could not take it anymore. I had to stop this, so I made Dugan reveal himself and take you. I had hoped he would do it in the forest, but you got away from him.”

“You did all this? You had your brother-in-law taken, and what do you mean you had Brynn told I was still alive? He thought me dead?”

Gareth leaned down as his hand came up to caress her cheek. “I wrote him and told him you would be sentenced to death. It wasn’t a total lie. Many of my lords wished for you to die. I just didn’t tell him I managed to have you spared.”

She felt tears come to her eyes. “Brynn thought I was dead all this time?”

“Yes, but he never asked again. He could have written me or come earlier. He believed it because he wanted it to be true, Amelia. He left you. I never left you. I have been watching over you this whole time, making sure you are safe.”

He leaned down to kiss her, but she pushed him away. “Do not lie to me. You have done nothing but torture me and make me miserable. You told Brynn I was dead, so he wouldn’t come to me. You made me believe he didn’t care for me.”

“Amelia, I did what I had to do to keep you alive and with me. Can’t you see how much I love you, or more than that, can you not feel how connected we are.” He took her hand again and pulled her close, placing her hand on his chest. “We are fated for one another, light and darkness. Together there is nothing we cannot do. We can rule not just Achilia and Evalmore but the whole world. I can give you anything you wish. You will have more than your freedom. You will have the command everyone as my wife.”

Amelia felt the darkness swirling inside of Gareth. She moved her hand slightly lower on his chest to follow its progression. Some of it moved into her hand. She let it flow along until it met hers in her chest. She could not deny her magic responded to it. Instead of shrouding her magic as she believed it would, it only made her light shine brighter in the darkness.

“You already have a wife,” she said as she continued to study his magic with hers.

“I can throw her aside, and she will be glad for it. I can find priestesses who will undo it, and then you and I can become one.” He moved his hand under her chin and tilted her head up. “I want you, Amelia. I know you have some fear of me, and I cannot blame you. I will make it better, though. I will make everything right.”

He leaned down towards her as his words echoed in her head. She had heard something like it before, and she realized it was from Brynn. When she had been stabbed by the shadow warrior and felt the cold darkness threaten to overtake her, she remembered him promising he would make everything better. He loved her. She knew he did. He did not abandon her because he lost all feelings for her.

Looing up at Gareth, she shook her head. “This cannot be as you wish. You do not love me, Gareth, and I certainly have nothing but disgust for you. How could you think otherwise after all you did to me?”

He grabbed her arm hard and stared down at her. “The only way I can save you from everyone in that room in there is to take you as my wife. If you do not do as I ask, then I will have to let them do as they want. They will take your light from you, and I don’t know if you can survive it.”

She moved out of his arms. “If I agree to unite with you, my light will eventually be put out anyway.”

“Dark magic is not what you think,” he said desperately.

“I believe you are right about that, but it does not change who you are. It is not your dark magic that repels me, but what you have done just to chase power. I could never love a man who killed the best man I have ever known, blamed me for it, and then kept me from the one man I have loved over half my life.”

“Let me have one chance, Amelia. Please. I do not want this to happen to you. I need you, and I can show you that I am not the monster you think I am.”

“You have shown me plenty, and I think you might be even worse than I feared. I may die tonight, but I will go to my goddess, never truly betraying who I am. I thought I was wicked all those nights I gave myself to you, but I see now how you forced me. You manipulated and tortured me until I had no choice.”

He held out his hand, and she flew into his arms. Before she could react, his lips were on hers, and she could feel his magic pour through her. It was strangely bewitching, and so much of her wanted to give in. She even started to kiss him back as her mind became a jumble of images of her time with Gareth. She saw the times he tenderly touched her or brought her pleasure. She felt his warm breath in her ear as he called out her name, reaching his peak. It was all very alluring that she could have such power over a man like him, but she never was one for power.

He pulled back. “I will find a way to change your mind. I just need time. Do not say or do anything when we go back to the dais. I will handle this, and tomorrow, you and I will go somewhere for a while. I will show you how wonderful it will be once you truly submit to be mine.”

She thought to argue with him, but she remembered Brynn in the room, which meant Owain was close by. There was also the prince to think about.

“I will do as you ask if you will do something for me,” she said. “I will go with you wherever you like.”

“Tell me what you want, m lovely one,” he said as he rubbed her bare side with his hand.

“You didn’t come here alone, did you? I imagine Brynn and Owain are somewhere close by.”

Gareth nodded. “We sailed over on Princess Melwa’s boat. She is a friend of Brynn’s from Erialla.”

“And you still hold the young prince. Let them all go unharmed. Let Brynn go to Erialla with the princess, and Owain take the boy to his parents. If you do that, I will spend as much time with you as you wish. I will let you try to persuade me.”

“It will not be easy to get them to leave without you, especially Brynn,” said Gareth.

“But you have a room full of dwellers who answer to you. I am sure you can manage it without permanently hurting any of them.” She felt guilty as she moved her arms up this chest and pressed herself against him. “I want to give you a chance, Gareth, but you must show me there is some sort of good in you. You never should have taken the prince. I imagine you do not want to make the princess’ family an enemy right now, and Owain has a family. Brynn is still your brother.”

Gareth leaned down and kissed her again. “Very well, come to the dais with me and do as I ask. I will see that they all leave here unscathed.”

She moved away from him, and he took her hand. Together they walked from the room. Amelia was unsure what would happen, but she knew she would never go anywhere with him. She would give up her life first.