DEMON CRY

65.

All his life, Prince Damien had been certain of himself. He knew how to handle himself whenever he hit a rough spot. He could carry the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders and give his all to serve it. 

It was different now. The Demon Queen had done something to his mind. She had made him the owner of a mangled body governed by a broken mind. In captivity, he always planned for his freedom. If Amara had not come when she had, he would be planning his escape. 

But now that he was free and surrounded by those who cared for him, his mind was idle.

Just like that, he was compelled to explore the product of his imprisonment. 

To sum it up, he had become weak. 

Presently, Felicia, Raphael and Amara were outside, arranging for breakfast. 

'We'll be right back, okay?' Amara had looked at him pleadingly before she left. He knew what she wanted. It was for him to stay inside and rest but even the thought of it was terrifying. 

He needed a distraction. The demon boy was asleep and to wake him up would be selfish and inconsiderate. 

Prince Damien's shoulders slumped as he assessed his hands. Amara had wrapped a piece of cloth from her cloak around his palm. 'Just until we get home,' she had said.

He shut his eyes and leaned on the wall of the wagon, What has become of me?

He didn't want to be so broken. 

Anything but this...

'When will we reach the border?' Felicia's voice was heard from the other side of the wagon. 

Raphael replied, 'By tonight, we'll reach our final destination.'

The Dithrai prince guessed that 'final destination meant Tracovia. 

Amara entered the wagon and presented him with steaming food neatly wrapped in leaves. She smiled, 'Here you go.' 

With trembling hands, he reached for it. He noticed how her smile dimmed when she gazed at them. 

'On second thought,' she said, 'How about I feed you?'

It wasn't up for debate. He should have felt grateful for her consideration but he could only discern resentment- not toward her but himself. 

Suddenly, he didn't feel like eating anymore. 

'I'm not hungry,' he muttered. 

'Just a couple of bites while it's hot?' 

He could hear the desperation in her voice and he hated himself for it. 

'Please, Damien. I can't bear to see you like this.' 

She was going to cry. 

He felt cold. 'I wish I wasn't this.'

'Stop acting like a stranger,' she snapped. 'You're the same man I fell in love with. Nothing has changed!' 

He fisted his hands and turned away. 'You're wrong.' 

She didn't reply. Instead, she gripped his shoulders with her warm hands and sobbed quietly.

He was frozen. 

'Please don't,' she begged. 

He wished he had the strength to turn and embrace her. He wanted to whisper promises in her ear and comfort her. 

The only words that left his mouth were, 'I'm sorry, Amara.' 

She let go of him and stopped crying. From the corner of his eyes, he watched her set the food down and shift away. His eyes travelled to her face which was reflecting the hurt and the conflict booming inside of her. He couldn't bear to see it. 

A couple of moments passed before Felicia entered the wagon. At once, she was introduced to the tense atmosphere. She looked between the two adults, sitting by themselves, not acknowledging each other's presence. 

'Good news,' she whispered, attempting to break the silence. 'Raphael says we'll reach Tracovia by tonight.'

She received a slight nod from the prince as a reply. 

Amara was angry and upset at the same time. A volatile mixture of emotion swirled inside her. If prodded, she would snap. It was written all over her face. 

How could he say that after all they had been through!

A part of her felt his response was justified. She did not know what the Demon Queen had done to him. 

So what if he has changed, she thought. My feelings haven't! 

She wanted to look at him. She wanted to dare him to repeat everything whilst looking into her eyes. She knew he wouldn't be able to. It was lies! All lies! He was feeling something that he was hesitant to share. 

The only way she could find out what was going on was to realize what the Demon Queen had put him through. 

Why would you say you're broken? She wondered. Her heart ached so much that she felt like clawing her chest. What did she do to you!

Tears pooled in her eyes. She was aware of Felicia's eyes on her so she tried her best to keep them at bay. 

She decided that she would try talking to him again once their tempers had simmered down. She had made the mistake of letting him go once, she was not going to do that again. If he wanted to get rid of her so bad then he would have to fight with everything he had. 

Inhaling deeply, she reached for the packed food. It was peppered rabbit flesh chopped into small pieces. It was a cheap dish. The money Amara had earned as a servant in the Demon Castle was just enough to buy some rolls of leather that would serve as an excuse to venture into the Dithrai Kingdom. 

She swallowed and steadied her voice. 'Damien,' she called out. 

He didn't look at her. 

'Damien.'

No response. 

'Damien.'

He turned slightly and looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She steeled herself and brought a piece to his mouth, 'Eat.' 

He stared at her for some time before he opened his mouth and allowed her to feed him.