CHAPTER
1 – DEPARTURE
“I
can't stay,” said Aurea. She
didn't want to stay. She was afraid of anything permanent. Every
fibre of her body yearned for the outland, the distance, but she
hated hurting her mother. Therefore she avoided looking into her big,
green eyes. For a second they turned into Ian's blue ones that summer
morning when he had left her. Her knees went weak. She could hardly
breathe. “Aurea
... Aurea!” yelled a familiar voice. Aurea's hand played nervously
with the bulky engagement ring and she had not even noticed.
“You
still have it,” her sister Notin observed reproachfully.
Aurea
put the ring in a bag hanging from her golden belt.
“That's
none of your business,” she replied curtly “I must go.”
She
turned around and left the house with quick steps without even
looking at her mother one last time. The
rain pounded mercilessly on her bare arms and reminded her that she
had forgotten her white cotton robe in the house. Yet she didn't turn
back any more. No matter how much the cold was torturing her - It was
time to go. Certainly, she was plagued by fear and doubt about what
she was going to do, but anything seemed better at the time than
staying somewhere. Tomorrow night she would already be far away from
this place. Her steps got faster and faster the closer she got and
full of anticipation she could smell the ocean already, hear the crew
shout. Soon the ship was in sight. The gigantic, white ship which was
decorated with golden letters. The
word "Aurea"
was visible on the bow – even though not as shiny as in sunny
weather. The ship was named after her. She wondered whether this trip
was a nightmare. However she told herself once again anything was
better than staying. Even if she wanted to stay here she had no
choice. She had to fulfil her duty, because without her the world was
lost. With mixed feelings she walked up the ship's ramp and the
people she passed bowed before her, getting out of her way. “Queen
Aurea,” she heard a woman's low voice who was staring at her in
awe. Everyone on the island of Lucida respected her. So many people
in Arcanum did that. If
they didn't they got to feel the wrath of her husband. The thought of
it stung her. Every time she saw the Magus of Darkness she felt
threatened. Aurea's past was dominated by darkness, pain, loneliness
and breaches of trust. A man who mastered dark magic could not be
trusted under any circumstances.
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