WeatherMaker Hearts Desire Prologue

Carl walked the world now with a wider heart, and a different perspective on everything he saw. He helped Farrell and Arlen search for Amaia, finding her weeks later in a town far from their home.

‘Amaia’ Carl said to her. ‘What happened to your hair?’

‘Who are you?’ she replied to him. ‘And why do you call me that?’

‘It’s your name’ Carl replied hurt, ‘and you know who I am.’

‘Carl’ Arlen said beside him, placing a hand upon his shoulder. ‘There is one last thing we forgot to tell you.’

‘Reincarnation?’ Carl repeated. He glanced across the courtyard in which they sat, gazing towards Farrell and Amaia who spoke quietly together on the other side.

‘Yes’ Arlen said. ‘It’s one of her powers. If she dies, she is reincarnated and looks slightly different. When she was very young she had black hair, like her mother. But…something happened after she was taken from us, and she died, and when she woke again….well….that’s where the green hair came from.’

‘But why green?’

‘She said she fell from a tower’ Arlen explained, ‘and into a bush. The green from the leaves was absorbed in her magic as she was reincarnated….or something like that.’

‘So’ Carl said thoughtfully. ‘Who exactly is her father?’

‘I don’t know’ Arlen replied sadly. ‘In truth. It could be me….’ he glanced up, ‘it could be Farrell………hell it might even be Tristan.’

‘You?’ Carl frowned. ‘How might you be the father?’

‘I uh…’ Arlen began. ‘Farrell’s wife….Ramana….before she married him, we were…..well…….we were….’

‘You were lovers?’

Arlen shrugged. ‘I convinced her to marry Farrell because I believed he could give her a better life than I could.’

‘And?’

‘Well…’ Arlen went on. ‘The night before she was to marry Farrell….we…..well…’

Carl looked away.

‘It must have been difficult for you’ he said. ‘Letting go of her I mean.’

‘I loved Ramana with all my heart’ Arlen told him. ‘I still do. Even today I think of her……I know I shouldn’t be sad because I have Amaia. We’ve found her at last after all those years, and she has a happy life now…with you…’ he glanced towards Carl. ‘The king is dead, and she is no longer being hunted….I’m happy for her.’

‘But you still miss Ramana’ Carl finished.

‘Yes’ Arlen bowed his head. ‘I shouldn’t be sad I know. I know she wouldn’t want me to be sad, I have Amaia after all….but even after all this time…..’ he drew a shuddering breath, holding back his sobs. ‘I miss her so much….more than I ever thought possible…even after all this time’ he whispered. Arlen turned to Carl with tears in his eyes. ‘If you lost Amaia forever…….how would you feel?’

Carl stared back at him for a moment, before looking away towards Amaia. ‘My world would crumble’ he muttered back.

Arlen looked towards Amaia also.

‘She is the last thing I have left of Ramana’ Arlen mumbled.

‘So…’ Carl began slowly, ‘where does Tristan come into this? Did he love Ramana once?’

‘No’ Arlen shook his head. ‘He believes Amaia is his daughter by his own wife. I believe her name’s Olithia. I’ve never met her, Amaia….didn’t like her…or so she told me.’

‘So her mother could be one of two women’ Carl clarified. ‘Her father could be one of three men.’

‘Yes’ Arlen said quietly.

The two sat together silently, watching Farrell and Amaia talk.