Chapter 4

My heart pounded inside my chest. It wasn't because I was scared, it is something I don't understand. And that scent, it belonged to him! It smelled much stronger now that he is centimeters away from me.

"Hello, my love"

My love? What?

I was caught in a trance, his ever-so slightly supercilious voice still ringing in my ears. Most of all, his proximity is burning me inside, taking my breath away. The dark lighting made it hard for me to have a clear sight of him. My eyes were still adjusting but, his eyes were hard to not notice. It illuminated in the dark. His eyes were like these prowling clouds in a thunderstorm type - a metallic silver in color. However, it's warm, brilliant, and bright. It was captivating. The thought of contacts came up but there were no clear lines visible in the white area of his eyes. It got me wondering how? There is certainly no such color of the eyes.

I lifted my knee and was about to hit him 'down there' but, he blocked my leg with his as if he knew what I was about to do. I squirmed in his grasp and used all my strength to free myself but it wasn't working. I am trapped in between his arms.

"Calm down, I won't hurt you." he stated calmly. His breath brushed by my face. Coldness radiated from him.

"Yeah, says the one who sneaked in to my bedroom." I retorted and finally gave up on trying. He looked down, his eyes fixed on my lips.

"I ... I had to meet you." he murmured, but it was more to himself than a reply to what I said. My breath hitched. His forehead furrowed. His eyes stared back at mine. With my heart rising and falling, it was immensely hard for me to breath.

"Meet me? Then get off me!" I said and tried to push him away.

He looked at me intently. Those gaze felt like it's piercing through my soul, trying to read me. Just then my eyesight started to get clearer. A few strands of his black hair dangled over his eyes. The black colour of his hair made his eyes stand out. He is strikingly beautiful. Damn.

"I see you have met my brother already." a voice grabbed my attention. My gaze averted from him and followed where the voice came from. I narrowed my eyes to see better. There, was Octavia stepping out of the dark area of the balcony. I looked at her. Then to the person in front of me. I felt his grasp on me loosening, my hand were finally free.

"B--Brother?" I asked bewildered with her sudden revelation. He took a step back and slowly let me go without taking his eyes off me.

I saw my gun from my peripheral vision so I picked it up immediately. "Who are you people?"

She took a deep breath before speaking, "We have to talk."

I blinked a few times, recovering from being stunned, and lead the way back to my room. I felt them follow behind me. I turned around quickly to face them after putting the gun back under the bed. I realized I will not be needing it after all my gut tells me these people won't lay a hand on me. If they did, I can take them ... I think.

Octavia was already standing in front of me while he comfortably leaned his back against the wall, his arms crossed on his chest. I looked at her again, rummaging through my mind of what words to say and what questions to ask to begin with.

"Callie, this is my brother Alexander." She said tilting her head at him. I looked passed her and immediately regretted that I did. He was already looking at me with those mysterious eyes.

"Did ... do ... how did you know of me?" I asked.

"No, not exactly. Why don't you sit first." she ushered for me to sit on the bed but I shook my head. "I'm fine." I said bluntly, trying not to show the eagerness for her to answer me.

"Callie, it is important that everything I am about to tell you, you can't share with anyone else." she stated. I started to think that it had to do with murder or something really bad from the way she had said it. Although again, I barely know them, it could be anything. I nodded and I meant it.

"The truth is we came to you because we desperately need your help." she began. She walked to my desk and pulled the chair then she sat down. "I don't understand, you barely know me." I said

"We know enough." she implied. I didn't exactly understand what she meant by that but I kept quiet and didn't say anything for her to go on.

"Anyway, to begin with, we are from a different world. Rather a different realm. It is older than yours yet the same in so many ways. Our father, the king, is terminally ill and Alexander as the heir to the throne must announce the day of his wedding in order to keep everything on track." she paused and lowered her eyes to the floor.

Realm? A king? Heir? I am currently having trouble understanding and taking everything in. The thought of her just making this up crossed my mind but she seemed sincere and determined. I gazed at Alexander and he was listening and looking at Octavia. There was no hint of emotion on his eyes. "What happens if he doesn't?" I urged. His eyes instantly averted to me, this time I didn't avoid it.

"Other rival kingdoms will take advantage of our situation." She let out a deep breath. "Where we come from, a king cannot rule without a queen. The queen is the heart of the kingdom. So you see, my brother can not take over without a queen by his side .... Anyways, just last week, a word came from two of our spies that three kingdoms are already working together and planning on attacking us by the end of this month. Our kingdom is powerful we can take them, we know that, specially with the help of our allies but, mother will not risk it. She fears for our people. Hundreds of lives would either perish or be at stake. It would be a blood bath. With that being said, she's the reason we came looking for you."

"Me?" I am completely baffled.

"What I am about to ask of you, ..... please think that by doing so, you will be saving a lot of lives from potential death." she claimed. I suddenly felt my hands and feet go cold. A part of me doesn't want to hear and find out what she is to say next.

She leaned forward and rested both of her elbows on top of her knees. She looked at me narrowing her eyes. Her eyes full of hope and anticipation which made me feel more nervous. "Marry Alexander."

I laughed nervously. Her words still ringing in my ears. I haven't even moved on from everything she had just revealed but now another bomb exploded to my face. She must be joking. Marry him? The thought of having a boyfriend never even crossed my mind and now marriage? I stopped laughing mid way, my heart thumped almost loudly that I could hear it. My knees felt weak and uneasy that I had to hold on to the bed to support myself. I slowly sat down. I composed myself and looked at him. He was already watching me. The way he stared at me send chills all over my body. I wonder what is he thinking right now? I blinked a couple of times before glancing back at Octavia. "You must be demented."

"Calliope, this is not something to joke about." she said, her face and tone humourless. She must be serious about it since she called me by my full name.

"I'm sure there are plenty of princesses or whatever in your world but why me? I ... I am not even from your so-called world." I responded. Besides I'm certain they wouldn't have any trouble asking them to marry him. His appearance and the power he radiated, no woman would dare to disagree on marrying him.

"No, Callie you don't understand. He--" she shook her head and leaned backwards to the chair not even getting the chance to finish her sentence because I cut her off.

"You're right I don't. My brain is about to explode trying to consider you are telling the truth or rather yet if I am asleep and all of these is just a dream!" I blurted and stood up, clutching the top of my head.

"Why would we risk telling you about our world where people like you don't even know it existed. Think about it." Alexander spoke from where he stood. Well what do you know, he actually speaks! I looked deep into his eyes. There I saw security and I actually gave it a little consideration.

"He's right. The fact that we are here is jeopardizing everything. It is forbidden to cross into other realms like yours." Octavia stood up and walked to me. She put both her hands on my shoulders and looked at me with her eyes pleading. "So please I am begging you, marry my brother." she pled. Hope and sincerity still visible in her eyes. I sighed and sat back down, almost giving up on arguing with them.

"I am aware that we are asking for too much ... no ... 'too much' is an understatement. I would do anything in return for you to come to Foreah with us." The hair on my arms stood up on end immediately at what she said. At the same time, my ears perked up instantly. I was on my feet straight away, glancing at her.

"W--What did you say?"

*

I thought my life couldn't get any more complicated but after that night's encounter, I was opened to a much more intricate one. For years, I thought Aunt Claire is my mother's sister and that she left me under her care then went off doing who knows what. I thought that she got pregnant at a young age and couldn't take care of me so she gave me away. I thought that she just didn't want me, plain and simple. Hell I came up with a bunch of possible reasons why.

Until three years ago, I was 16, Aunt Claire finally told me the truth about how I ended up with her. Aunt Claire and her husband were a newly-wed at that time when one late night, there was a noise outside. Someone was banging at their door. Aunt Claire said that my mother was bathing with blood. She was wearing an armor looking outfit and her stomach was obviously large indicating that she was pregnant. She was in labour then. Aunt Claire's husband was a resident doctor at that time so he was the one who delivered me. During the delivery, Aunt Claire managed to asked her where she was from and all that sort of information but all she said was one word, 'Foreah'. My mother lost consciousness so they had to bring her to the hospital. The next morning, she disappeared leaving a piece of paper on her hospital bed. A paper where my name was written on, Calliope Sofija.

I paced back and forth, my thoughts spiraling inside my head. I have had no decent sleep for three days now prior to that night. I have not even attended school and even lied to Ron that I was sick just so she won't storm in here. Everything Octavia had told me is still freshly embedded into my head. It was all I thought about.

I walked to my desk and typed in the word 'Foreah' again. I've researched about the place for the past few days but there is not a single website or information about it. I even searched one by one about every country, cities, and towns but Foreah is just not on the list. I put my hands on my head in frustration.

"Callie! Callie! Callie!" Drew's anxious voice and his rapid knocks on my door got me to ran towards it. I opened the door and a pair of little arms immediately wrapped around my legs. I crouched down to his level and saw that he was crying and sweating.

"Hey, hey, what happened?" I asked and wiped his tears then his forehead.

"I had a bad dream. You ... you were leaving me and you never came back." he said panting heavily. It was then that it hit me, like a punch to the face. I pulled her to me and hugged him tightly.

"Sshh I am here. I will always look out for you wherever I am." a tear fell from my eyes. The words that came out of my mouth just confirmed that I was fully decided.

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