Tales of Sundardesha: Journey of a lost queen (book I)

Chapter 25 - Truths

Hello, sweethearts! A big thank you to all of you who stuck until the end of book 1!!! I wouldn't have made it without you!

Yes, that's right, this is the last chapter of 'Tales of Sundardesha: Journey of a lost queen', but don't worry book 2 will be coming out soon (I hope).

Also don't miss out on the epilogue of the story.

Thank you! Enjoy!

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Thalya sat on the soft grass, enjoying the rays of the morning sun. Her eyes closed, she appreciated the peace and quiet in the Royal garden.

The ball was not what she had been expecting, it had been better. Though she had enjoyed it very much, she preferred her surroundings to be less crowded and much quieter.

She sighed absentmindedly; she and Ayden had danced until after midnight. Her feet still ached a little from the endless spins and leaps.

She smiled to herself and thoughtlessly rested her hand above her heart; the words of the vow they had taken still chimed in her mind loud and clear. She could see herself and Ayden walking on that same grass on their way to the Rowan tree.

The young woman took a deep breath of the fresh morning air, she had made the decision without thinking of the consequences, but she didn't regret it.

Thalya exhaled audibly, she still hadn't told her father, and though she was not looking forward to the conversation she knew it was unavoidable. She realized very well Tiergan didn't hold Ayden in high regard but she loved the young knight deeply and just the thought of being away from him made it hard to breathe.

"Good morning, Baratári," Anaya's soft voice made Thalya jump, taking her out of her daze.

"Good morning," Thalya's chest heaved as her heart hammered against her ribcage. That elf seemed to enjoy sneaking around whenever Thalya wasn't expecting her. The truth was, however, that Thalya no longer minded her presence. Yesterday, Ayden had made it clear where his heart lay and Thalya didn't intend on letting any more thoughts of him and Anaya harass her.

"Did you like the ball, my lady," Anaya asked awkwardly. There was something in the way she spoke, it made Thalya uneasy and she focused her gaze on the elf.

"Yes, it was..." Thalya looked for the right words, "very special," she finished her sentence.

"Indeed," Anaya forced herself to smile, "I heard you and Ayden took the vow together".

Thalya nodded silently, she felt uncomfortable discussing the matter with the elf.

"I'm very happy for the two of you," Anaya's tone sounded off. No matter how much she tried to hide it, Thalya knew that the elf's feelings were hurt.

Anaya opened her mouth as if to say something but then closed it again. Seeing her uncertainty, the young woman coaxed her to speak up.

"Is there something on your mind," Thalya's intuition told her to avoid the question but her curiosity triumphed over sense, "You're Ayden's friend and he trusts you. I would like to benefit from the same trust".

A shadow crossed Anaya's face for a split second but it was so inconspicuous, Thalya wasn't sure if it had been truly there.

"No, it is nothing, really. It is none of my business, anyway," the elf shook her head.

Thalya was intrigued and her curiosity prevailed over good manners.

"Come on, you can't just start saying something and then pretend nothing happened," she teased forgetting about her composure.