Chapter 50 - Feared Anger

The sweet chirps of a yellow bird perched on the window seal woke up Emelinia. She was naked and in Naian's arms. She thought back to what happened last night and blushed heavily. However, when she looked at the window, she was shocked to see that the sun had already risen. Emelinia tried to get out of bed but Naian pulled her back and held her.

"Naian let me go." she chuckled. "Do you want mama to be upset with me?"

"Let her be upset." he firmed his hold on her stomach.

"Won't you be late too?" she playfully asked.

"Who cares?" he lazily asked her back and sniffed her hair.

Emelinia chuckled. "Papa will care. He is probably waiting for you already."

Naian let go of her and sprung up into a sitting position as the realization hit him. Emelinia pulled a bed sheet and ran into the bathroom laughing at Naian. Naian only shook his head at her with a smile on his face.

****

Sharumez was reading a newspaper in the dining room. He had just finished having his breakfast. Akirexer stood beside him, putting the dirty dishes on a tray.

Sharumez raised his eye brow when he saw Emelinia happily walk down the stairs. She cheerfully greeted him and Akirexer and went into the kitchen.

"I was expecting an awkward morning but it looks like they solved their differences." Akirexer whispered to Sharumez and he almost choked on his coffee.

"I am so relieved that they have. So Naian was able to explain that stain? Goodness I was afraid for him. Emelinia sounded pissed." he added and Akirexer giggled.

"Emelinia appears harmless but can be a tigress when angry." Akirexer proudly remarked.

"Just like you." Sharumez waved his eyebrows up and down.

"Well, both father and son have the same taste in women." Akirexer winked at him.

****

King Meelzib stood before his army glaring at it. He wasn't pleased with what he saw.

"How I'm I to take over the world with a pitiful army such as this?" he asked Commander Luven.

"I don't know what wrong you find with them. Everyone fears our armies." Commander Luven said.

"They are not vicious and ruthless enough." King Meelzib held his chin. "You know what Luven, I think we should pay the Great Academy a visit."

****

Lalina had a bored look on her face as she watched Yolin brush her hair. She yawned when Yolin closed the wardrobe door.

"I still can't believe that you are going to see him without me." Lalina complained.

Yolin looked sharply at her. "We have been over this already. I'm going to see Light without you or anyone else. I need to speak to him in private."

"Okay fine but what if you find Sharaina with him? Today is Wednesday and you know that she goes to visit him on this day after class."

"She went to the library half an hour ago. That's why I have to see him now."

"Okay, just make sure you tell me everything when you get back."

"Sure."

****

Yolin pulled out a letter that her mother wrote to her recently. It contained details of which intakes Light was tutoring. She stood before the building were lecture theatres for the gamarax manipulators were. Yolin looked back at the letter and nodded her head in satisfaction.

She made her way up into the building and to her convenience, she saw Light wave at some students leaving a classroom. She then watched him go back into the classroom.

Yolin made her way to the door but suddenly halted when she saw Velan angrily go into the classroom before her. She looked around and when she saw no one, Yolin stood at the door and got ready to eavesdrop.

"Light! What is this nonsense that your mother is telling me?" Velan angrily asked Light. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from Sharumez's daughter?"

"I'm sorry papa but that is how I feel." Light softly answered.

Velan slammed his hand on the table. "Shut up! I have raised you to be a sensible man but now I can see that I have completely failed you as a father. Don't you realize that your engagement involves all of us? I gave Alamva my word that you were going to marry his daughter. What you are doing is unacceptable."

"Papa I love her. You know that I do. Why can't you accept that I don't want to get married to Yolin?" Light asked Velan and Yolin was stupefied.

"Love is not enough. This girl you are obsessing about, how sure are you that she is the one for you?" Velan furiously pointed at him.

"And how sure are you that Yolin is the one for me?" Light asked him back.

"I am sure because you are my son and I know you." Velan answered.

"Then this means that you know that I am not the type to give up. I refuse to quit my love for Sharaina. I'm sorry papa but not even you can change my mind on this. I will not marry Yolin. I don't want to." Light boldly said.

Velan scowled at Light and dashed out of the classroom. He was so angry that he didn't see Yolin standing by the door on his way out.

"So he had no intentions of marrying me because he is in love with Sharaina." she thought as she watched Velan make his way down the stairs.

Yolin got into the classroom and looked at Light rub the board. Light sensed her and dropped the duster when their eyes met.

"Yolin?" he asked her.

"Would you mind if we talked?" she asked him and he slowly nodded his head.

****

Tamithra cheerfully walked into Sharumez and Naian's workshop. She held a delicious looking pie in her hands. Janala jerked her eyebrow when she caught sight of her.

She looked at Naian and pointed at Tamithra who was patiently waiting for Naian to give her his attention. Naian was puzzled to see her back there again. He didn't expect her to return.

"Good morning Tamithra."

Naian stared at the pie baffled. It was his favorite pie, gaku berry mixed with earth's apple pie.

Tamithra was pleased that Naian noticed that she was holding his favorite pie. "Good morning, I'm not here to take up much of your time." she started. "I know that I already apologized yesterday but please have this pie as a peace token between us. The tension has gone on long enough wouldn't you think so?" Tamithra asked him with a bright smile.

"Err sure, of course." Naian took the pie.

"She seems nice. I hope she understands what she has so that she doesn't make the same mistake I made." Tamithra commented.

"Thank you for the pie." Naian smiled faintly at her, completely ignoring her previous remark.

"Don't you want to try it?" Tamithra handed him a fork.

Naian reluctantly took the fork. He forked up a piece to Tamithra's delight. Her face turned dark and she smiled evilly.

"Come on, eat it. How else will the love portion work?"

She stood right where she was supposed to---in front of Naian so that she would be the first person he would see after consuming the portion. The fork drew closer to Naian's opened mouth. His tongue got prepared to taste it.

The pie fell splat on the ground.

Tamithra looked at it in disbelief. She glared at Janala who just shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm sorry I knocked the pie over." Janala apologized.

"Knocked it down? You fucking slapped it off his hand!" Tamithra internally growled.

Tamithra breathed in and forced smile. Naian still had some pie on his fork and one bite was all that was needed.

"Naian, you still have some of it left. Please eat it. Tomorrow I will bring another pie for you." Tamithra urged him.

Janala snatched the fork from Naian and ate the pie. Tamithra scowled darkly at her and she laughed. Naian was puzzled by her behavior. He was so taken aback that he didn't notice Tamithra glaring at Janala.

"Well there goes all the pie." Naian said and a customer walked in. "Thank you either way Tamithra. Please excuse me." Naian placed his hand on his chest and left to talk to the customer.

"I know what you are up to Ta-mi-thra." Janala said in a tune.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Tamithra denied everything, annoyed.

Janala snorted. "Yeah we can pretend that's true." she rolled her eyes and walked away from Tamithra.

"This stupid bitch has ruined my plan. I'll have to think of another plan but first I must find a way to get rid of her." Tamithra thought to herself and left.

Naian didn't see Tamithra leave for he was busy with the customer. A goo goo flew into the shop and landed unnoticed on Naian.

He felt a stinging pain as he wrote the customer's order and slapped the goo goo bug on his neck. It fell down to the ground and he smashed it under his shoe.

"What's the matter?" Sharumez asked him.

"I have just gotten stung by a goo goo." Naian answered and held his burning neck.

"You should go home." the customer advised. "It won't be long until the effects take their course."

"Yes, you should go home. Janala and I will handle everything today. There's some medicine home, ask your mother where it is." Sharumez said and Naian nodded his head in obedience.

****

Light and Yolin sat opposite each other. There was tension in the room because Yolin told him that not only had she seen him with Sharaina but also heard everything that he said to his father.

Yolin smiled widely all of a sudden and started to laugh really hard. Light looked at her confused.

"I am going to be honest with you Light. I never wanted to get married to you either. My family was literally forcing me into this marriage and I didn't have the courage to stand up to them. You see, I have dreams and ambitions that I have to achieve before I can even think about marriage." She leaned closer to Light and whispered. "I just want to become stronger so that I can be a commander in The Enchanted Seven one day. I don't have time to submit to a man."

"So me being with someone else doesn't bother you?" Light laughed softly.

Yolin shook her head. "Not in the slightest. I only came here because I feared that you were playing with Sharaina's emotions. She is a nice person and I respect her." Yolin grinned. "I'm happy to know that you are with her for the right reasons."

"I'm a little surprised that you know her."

"We are in the same class and she is my bunk mate. Small world isn't it?" Yolin threw her hair back. "So tell me, does she know?"

Light dropped his gaze. "I am still yet to tell her. To be honest, her anger is the one I have been fearing the most but I have to tell her. Everyone knows about our relationship and I can't have her finding out about this through my family. I'm afraid they'll be stern with her."

"None of this is her fault." Yolin sympathized.

Light nodded his head at her words. "The fault is mine."

"It's not your fault either. We don't choose who we fall in love with." Yolin argued and was met with a smile.

"I suppose you are right." Light remarked.

"Do you know what I have just realized?" Yolin suddenly gasped and Light shook his head.

Looking into his eyes, she said, "I am free. No more 'avoid forming bonds with other men, you don't want your in laws to be angry with us... act like a lady of class, we don't want you to bring shame to us after your marriage' and blah blah."

Light cracked up laughing. "It's so funny how relatable that is. I have my own fair share of those memories."

"And thanks to you, we are free. You have inspired me. I hope I gain the courage to stand up to my family for what I believe in one day."

"I trust that you will." Light laughed softly.

"Anyway I must be leaving now. Thank you for taking a huge burden off my shoulders." she said and got up. "Light, may I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure." Light answered.

"Please don't tell Sharaina that it was me you were engaged to. I don't want her feeling weird around me." she said and left before Light would give her an answer.

****

Naian could barely stay on top of his horse as he rode home. His head was pounding so much that his vision was blurred. His body was slowly getting heavy from paralysis. The sting mark was deep red and it stuck out on his neck for all to see.

Emelinia was sweeping outside when she saw him ride into the yard. She was taken aback when she saw him nearly fall off his horse and stagger away from it. She dropped her broom and ran to him. When she saw the mark, she put his hand over her shoulder.

Akirexer rushed to go and get the medicine as Emelinia helped Naian up the stairs. She helped him lie on the bed and took off his shoes. Akirexer came into the room with the medicine.

"Bring some water." Akirexer ordered Emelinia.

As she waited for Emelinia to return, she lovingly placed her hand on Naian's cheek.

"I'll be fine mama." Naian weakly said.

Akirexer frowned at him. "I don't understand how you let yourself get stung."

"I didn't feel it land on me." he answered.

Emelinia came with the glass of water. Naian forced himself to sit up and his mother paced the pills in his hands. He threw the pills in his mouth and he took the glass of water from Emelinia. Akirexer helped him lie back down and she excused herself. Naian felt weak but when he saw Emelinia frowning at him, he opted to sit up again but held him down.

"You need to rest." she told him with concern.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Naian gave her hand a squeeze.

"I will be right here with you." Emelinia told him.

****

Light tidied up his house as he waited for Sharaina. She had promised him that she was going to visit him.

He heard a knock on the door and quickly opened it. To his surprise, it was Sharaina and the maid who cleaned his quarter. Sharaina got inside and Light smiled at the maid while holding the door closed.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but would you mind coming back tomorrow to clean up? Today won't be possible." he politely said.

"It's alright sir. I'll return tomorrow morning." she humbly agreed and walked away, pulling a trailer with her cleaning supplies.

Light closed the door with a thoughtful look. He found Sharaina lying on his bed. She was puzzled to see that maid wasn't with him.

"She's not cleaning today?" she asked him.

Light sat beside her and held her hand. "I sent her away because there's something serious that I need to discuss with you."

"What is it Light?" Sharaina asked him, worry creeping in.

"Sharaina remember that I love you, please."

"Light, you are starting to scare me." she sat up and took hold of his face. "I love you too. Tell me, what's the problem?"

Light got hold of both her hands and kissed them. With a heavy heart, he continued. "Sharaina... before I met you I was engaged to be married to someone else." Light said and Sharaina looked at him astonished. "When you and I started our relationship, I was still engaged to someone else." he finished and she stood up.

"What are you saying Light? Are you telling me that you are engaged?" she whispered in disbelief.

Light got up to face her. "No I am not engaged anymore. I broke off the engagement so that I can be with you."

Sharaina slapped him across the face.