Chapter 2
On The Wings of Smoke
Amee proceeded up the steps and knew that Kyros’s heart was broken, her being the cause for it. In the end he would understand or at least she hoped he would. She had meant what she had said, but love sometimes doesn’t go the way you want it too. She reached the top of the stairs when an unrecognizable voice called from the bottom of the steps, “Princess Amee”? She turned and stared down at the bottom of the stairs praying that Kyros was not going to make a scene. However she was disappointed when her eyes lay upon her prissy new husband. She tried not to roll her eyes as she gave a polite smile and retreated from the stairs. Leaving the prince to chase after her she made it almost all the way to her room when the prince came up almost breathlessly behind her. “Princess Amee,” he repeated as he finally caught up to her. “I would hope you would wait for me,” Amee smirked “just like you kept me waiting on hearing your pretty voice”. The prince straightened up as he seemed to gain back his composure, “Are you mocking me . . . a prince . . . your future husband?” Shaking her head she gave a soft, “no your majesty, shall we do this”? “Do what my dear,” her hand made her way to the door knob as she opened it.
“I assume that is why you came to see me,” “I came to see you to give you this one warning”. “Warning,” repeated Amee turning on the spot looking confused. “If I ever see a display like that with any man I will have you beheaded or fed to the lions for your treachery.” “My father said you wanted to consummate the marriage,” “I’m not consummating anything with a treacherous harlot like yourself . . . you can lie alone tonight and think about your punishment.” “And what’s your punishment going to be . . . husband,” the prince scoffed at her comment “for what? If anything I deserve a reward for the humiliation you have displayed tonight”. “Reward,” replied Amee almost speechless at the very situation. “I am going to go out there and repair the damage you have caused.” The prince turned as Amee added “well then I am going to go downstairs too”. He turned around and growled, “You will stay up here and get your beauty rest! You will need to look your best for me tomorrow.” “So what am I supposed to do sit up here and wait for you to come back,” “I won’t be coming back”! He stormed from her as Amee entered her bedroom and began to shut her door.
Keeping the door open a fraction Amee heard the prince retreat downstairs and bellow, “I want you to guard the front of the Princess’s bedroom, she must rest her womb . . . for tomorrow it shall conceive my son”. Footsteps began to ascend the stairs as Amee retreated into her room followed by her hand maidens. “If my fathers sees his soldiers guarding my door he is going to be so angry,” she turned from the door. In truth he would probably agree with the decision. Fortunately for her these guards were unaware of the hidden secrets that this estate possessed. She turned away from the door and flew past her hand maidens as she moved around her porch listening and staring down at the grounds. She watched the guests dance as many of them drunkenly wandered around the estate.
Soon she was watching her “husband” striding towards the festival. He didn’t even look up to her room and soon the crowd swallowed him up. Her hand gripped the marble railing as she wished she could have died right there on the floor. It was as if the god’s were forcing her to live the rest of her life in misery. Her tears felt warm as they filled her eyes and soon all she wanted was somebody to hold her. Somebody she trusted, somebody that would always be there for her and love her through good or bad. Her eyes shot open as she remembered she did have somebody like that. A man that seemed to hold the electricity to jump start her heart. Would he forgive her though was the real question. Amee began to sob harder knowing Kyros wouldn’t come. She had ruined everything and it seemed that everything was doomed to change when her father called her into his chambers three days ago.
She remembered that he had stood before her his smile was wider than she had seen in awhile. He outstretched his arms as he exclaimed, “my daughter . . . wonderful news”! She remembered that he had told her about the Winter Festival. Oh how wrong she was to believe the wonderful news was merely the Winter Festival. He finalized by saying, “I will also inform you of a big surprise before the festival.” Amee tried to shake herself back to reality. Kyros had even told her early in the morning before he left for duty, “no matter what the surprise is we will face it together”. She nodded and kissed his hand as he smiled and retreated out the secret passage behind her bed.
“Your majesty,” one of her hand maidens had come behind her and placed their hand on her shoulder. “Somebody is coming through the passage,” Amee raised her head. She only knew one person to use that passage and especially at this time. She flew past her maiden as the bed began to rattle and move revealing a black hole. It slid across the floor as a figure climbed through. His blondish hair came through first followed by a foot and the rest of his undersized body. His boyish looks made him look like he should be attending the senate not a soldier. He stood there as Amee almost couldn’t breath in disbelief, “what are you . . . how did you”? She didn’t seem able to finish her sentence but Kyros seemed to take advantage, “I know you don’t want to see me again and I know I swore I wouldn’t see you again”. He walked closer to her as her hand maidens walked into their quarters leaving Amee to an advancing Kyros. “I just want to know why you won’t at least take a chance,” she wanted to say yes. “No,” she whispered but Kyros was now so close to her, “alright say no after this”. Kyros was swift as a shadow and moved like the hands of fate. His lips met with hers as the kissed for what seemed like hours. It was a soft as silk and as tender as the pillows on her bed. She stayed there letting his lips caress hers and with a deep regret she felt his lips leave.
She pointed to her lips playfully “You should keep doing that”. “Should I,” said Kyros as he leaned in and kissed her again. Her knees felt weak as she seemed to wobble a little on the spot. “Take me,” she whispered at him. Kyros twirled around her nose, “and what about the guards . . . they are not your father’s guards they belong to the prince’”. “I don’t care,” she leaned in and kissed him hard as he picked her up and took her to the bed. They made love until the torches grew cold and their souls curled into the dark night. The music had stopped what seemed like hours ago and the guards were dead as the underworld. A slight chill in the air as the wind blew through Amee’s open window terrace. The door silently opened and closed as Amee lay curled next to a sweating Kyros. She slept soundly as the wind seemed to dance on the air making them both curl into the blankets. The air was fresh as it blew her tapestry to flutter like cloth caught in a light breeze.
In her slumber she felt the room grow a little colder and the wind seem to die a little. It seemed as if the whole world had gone quiet as the cold seemed to surround her. In her sleep the room grew even colder and soon she curled up tighter like a dog would as the chill seemed to be on top of her. As sleep seemed to take her over more she didn’t feel the cold anymore. As a matter of fact the comfort of her bed seemed to have taken her out of her dreams. She seemed weightless and almost floated on the air. She had never had a dream like this she felt as light as air. A cold cloud seemed to carry her away as she felt like nothing in the world could ruin this.
Rubbing his eyes Kyros felt something jabbing into his head. Giving a large yawn he stretched as he opened his eye to find himself staring at a coal black mockingbird. Retreating slightly in the bed, “Amee, look there is a mockingbird here”. The mockingbird raised his head as it began to sing however its song was not bright and cheerful. Its tune was sad and full of dismay. It played on every note and almost brought a tear to Kyros’s eyes. “Shoo,” he waved his hand at it as the mocking bird continued its soft mournful tune and then fluttered through the open terrace. His eyes fell upon a sight that made his heart race like a running rabbit.
“AMEE,” came a loud scream as Amee felt her eyes crash open like shattered glass. The world seemed sideways as her bed appeared crooked in the distance. She was no longer laying in it as Kyros was trying to fumble his way out of the blankets. She turned to see the stern face of the man that she had danced with at the festival. The maturity and confidence that he displayed was replaced with rage as he bared a set of pointed razor sharp teeth. He held her in his arms as his body seemed to slowly rise and then slowly descend. She saw Kyros reaching for his sword as wings of black smoke flapped on the cold night sky. “She is mine,” Kyros almost tripped over the blankets as he unsheathed his sword. “No matter where you take her, I will find her and get her back.” He motioned forward as Amee began to scream loudly. Her hand outstretched towards Kyros, “HADES,” cried Kyros. “I will travel to the underworld itself! I’ll take your head as I take back my love”! He ran towards her as Amee continued to thrash violently. Hades beat his wings harder as he flew up higher into the sky. Amee couldn’t fight her body felt bound to him. She watched helplessly as Hades flew further away from the estate. Her bedroom door crashed open as the guards descended upon the inattentive Kyros. The guards grabbed him as Hades drifted further into the clouds. Kyro’s shouting voice echoed across the land, “No matter how many years it takes I will find you and I’ll get you back”!
The guards descended upon Kyros as he felt many arms grabbing at every part of his body as they could. “Let me go,” the guards began to pull him towards his senior officer who almost couldn’t believe his eyes. “Ramis, you have to . . .” but the guards forced Kyros to his knees as his sword clattered to the ground. “Where is the princess Kyros,” he shook his head “I didn’t take her”. Ramis rubbed his slightly bulging belly as he barked “Search the grounds . . . I want search parties in the surrounding area leave no stone unturned”! One of the fellow soldiers bowed quickly as he ran from the room. “Where is the princess,” Kyros shook his head again, “I didn’t take her”? Ramis stomped closer towards him, “well then who took her . . . I would speak now as if my life were on the line”. Imprisoned by dozens of hands he stared up at Ramis. His pock marked face seemed almost scooped out with a spoon. His eyes bulged when Kyros gave a soft, “Hades”. Ramis paused as he repeated in a soft, “Hades . . . lord of the underworld . . . that Hades”? “He was the guy dancing with her at the festival,” Ramis shook his head, “wait the mysterious guy that danced with her”. Nodding furiously but the skepticism was clearly visible, “get him down to the dungeon. We must inform the king that the princess is missing”. Kyros screamed the entire time as they dragged him out of the room towards the prison. “Ramis you have to believe me Hades took her . . . Hades took her, let me go”!