The Fates
Chapter 14

Celia had been given a plate of food and while she ate she was introduced to a lot of new people. She couldn’t remember any of their names, they all swirled together in a jumbled mess in her mind.

Everyone had so far been polite but she could tell that they were suspicious of her, perhaps even curious of why she had come with Rhale. Ximena stayed by her side while they walked around and talked to people and Celia was thankful for it.

She could still not see Rhale no matter how much she looked but her eyes continued to move around looking for his imposing figure. Music was still playing loudly, they had the strangest instruments Celia had ever seen but the upbeat tempo of the songs suited the happy atmosphere.

“There they come” Ximena gestured to the forest and Celia could see Rhale walking towards them next to Khalil and a woman.

“Khalil my son you have already met, Amara my daughter is the woman with them.” Ximena whispered to her as the trio made their way over to them.

So that was Amara, Celia could feel her hands start to sweat and her heart sank down to her belly. Amara was a tall beauty, her dark locks sat wildly upon her head and her toned arms glistened in the light of the fire. She had one of her hands around Rhale’s arm and they looked nothing but splendid next to one another, a perfect couple.

Celia realized what the strange feelings inside of her were, jealousy. She had never once harbored such emotion before and she blushed with shame, jealousy was unbecoming of anyone.

Rhale was smiling wide at something that Amara said to him as they drew closer. She was just the type of woman Celia had imagined Rhale wanting to be with, she looked strong and fierce but her movements were graceful and she carried herself in such a way that Celia envied.

“Amara this is Celia, Celia this is Amara” Rhale said when they stood in front of each other. Rhale had apparently also washed and he wore, as the rest of the men here, only pants. His muscular chest was completely bare.

“She almost shot me with an arrow” Khalil said and walked up to stand next to Celia, he bent his head down to her ear “You look amazing in our clothes.”

Celia felt herself flush at what Khalil had whispered to her and she could see him smile at her reaction.

“Are you a warrior?” Amara asked, her icy tone told Celia all she needed to know about what Amara thought of her.

“No, I am not” she tried to smile but it probably came off more as a grimace, Amara still had her hand around Rhale’s arm and Celia tried hard not to frown.

“Celia is half angel” At Rhale’s words Amaras eyes turned wide, Khalil too looked surprised. Could they not smell her?

“She? An angel?” Amara sounded almost outraged.

“Manners Amara” Ximena said beside her and Amara immediately closed her mouth “I will retire for the night but it is really good to have you both here.” The older woman squeezed Celia’s hand and embraced Rhale once again before she left.

The song turned into a slower one and a woman began to sing in a language Celia did not recognise but her voice was hauntingly beautiful. She felt Khalil take her hand in his and she looked up at him.

“May I have this dance?” Before Celia had a chance to decline she was pulled closer to the fire, where people were dancing, twirling around freely.

“My sister does not like that you came with Rhale, it is best if you stay away from her” Khalil said as he put his hand on her waist and started to twirl her around.

“Rhale said that you will leave soon.”

“Yes, we will only impose on your hospitality for a short while.” Khalil pulled her closer, his bare chest met hers as he spun them around faster which made her laugh.

“You could stay, you would have to train but I could teach you.”

“I don’t think that I could ever be a warrior.” She said honestly.

“How fast you had your arrow pointing at me tells me differently.”

Celia was flattered “Shooting arrows is one thing, fighting another. Besides, I have things I must do.” Like joining with Rhale, trying to learn magic so that she could help save the world, that sort of thing. But she let that be unsaid.

“Do those things have anything to do with the angry man coming our way?” Celia looked around as they spun, Rhale was walking up to them but she thought he looked like he always did. The way he most of the time looked around her anyway.

“Mabey” She did not know what else to say.

“That’s a pity” Khalil commented just as Rhale reached them, before Rhale said anything Khalil spun her into Rhale’s arms and he caught her small form easily with his big arms.

As soon as their bodies touched her skin began to tingle and she felt a fire starting in her lower belly.

When she had danced with Khalil she had felt nothing but a single touch from Rhale made a turmoil rise within her that she had no idea what to do with.

Rhale didn’t say anything as he pulled her impossibly close and started to move, one of his legs came between hers as they danced in circles. Celia could see Amara glaring daggers at her but the open part of her dress moved to the side and she felt his legs right there...

Celia no longer cared if anyone was glaring, she looked up and saw Rhale’s blue eyes burning as he looked down at her, the one brown fleck in his left eye held her captured gaze focused.

“I have never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life.” Rhale mumbled and then his lips were on hers, she wondered if she would ever get used to it.

The music came to a stop and Rhale ended the kiss, as she opened her eyes she could not stop the smile that formed on her lips as she looked up at Rhale. As she slowly came to her senses the world around them came back and she saw that people had stopped to watch them.

“People are looking.” Celia whispered mortified to him, Rhale raised his head and looked as if he too just remembered where they were. He took her hand and pulled her with him to get something to drink. A man there handed her a cup of wine but Rhale took it from her, giving her water instead and she nodded her thanks. Celia would not have been able to decline it when it was given to her but she had already had two cups of wine and she already felt the effects of them.

“Come Rhale, tell us what you have been doing.” The man who had given her the cup of wine said and gestured to a group of other men. They were talking loudly amongst themselves and coarsely at that.

“You go ahead, I’ll be fine” Celia told him when she saw him being torn on what to do.

“I will only be a little while”

“Go” She smiled and pushed at his back, urging him to join his friends.

Celia should have known however that as soon as she was alone Amara would walk up to her but Celia decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

“It will never work, you and him.”

Doubt not doubted apparently, “It won’t?”

“Me and him have known each other for a long time, at one point I was to him what you are now.”

Celia could feel her pulse quicken, so there had been something between them. She didn’t know what to say so instead she smiled softly at Amara, she refused to let it show that her words were bothering her.

“If you truly are an Angel should you not be helping your own realm? Or perhaps you are trying to run from that fate?” Amara wasn’t stupid, she’d give her that, still Celia stayed silent.

“I am right, am I not? You are in trouble and you are hiding behind him. He has had enough trouble in his life, if you care for him you should let him go.”

Celia's smile faltered, had she not thought something similar not so long ago? She couldn’t ask this of him but then Rhale had told her that she had never asked anything of him and she really hadn’t. Not what she could remember at least.

“So what is your plan, hm? Become a warrior and stay here? No, you are not a warrior. So you will run and he will protect you.”

There at the very least Amara was wrong, they weren’t going to run forever, that was not the plan...

“No, that is not what I am going to do.”

“Then tell me, what will you do when you leave here?” Something told Celia that the answer to that question would only anger Amara further.

“You will have to ask Rhale that. If you will excuse me.” Celia said between her teeth and walked away, she was tired and she wouldn’t let Amara confuse her mind anymore then it already was.

Celia made her way back to Rhale’s house, she couldn’t remember if Ximena had locked the door but she hoped not. As she walked she kept reminding herself that she had never asked Rhale for anything, Rhale had offered any help he had given her.

It would be my pleasure, he had said...

The door was unlocked, thank the Fates, and she made her way straight to the bed. She immediately laid down on it, not caring that she was still wearing the flimsy dress.

She was exhausted, but she tossed and turned unable to fall asleep. She normally wore one of Rhale’s shirts when she slept and she had gotten used to them, nothing here smelled like him. The bed linen was the softest she had ever felt, she focused on the feel of them, forcing her mind to empty of all other thoughts and soon she fell asleep.

Celia woke up a little when she felt Rhale lie down on the bed. His warm arms drew her to him and she sighed in relief when she took in the scent that was so unmistakably him.

“You don’t feel obliged to help me, do you?” Celia said groggily.

“Where did you get that idea?”

“Amara said some things...” She could feel herself drifting away but forced herself to stay up a little longer.

“Did you tell her about the joining?” Rhale asked softly while taking one of her small hands in his.

“No”

“You should have. I am obligated to you, very much so, in every way possible. But only because I want to be.”

“Are you sure? You are allowed to change your mind” Celia was mumbling now, her mind far away in a dream land already.

“Have you changed your mind? Is that why you’re asking?” But Rhale got no answer, Celia had already fallen into a deep sleep, safely surrounded by him.

The next morning Celia washed and changed into another dress just like the last one, this one however was red, a color she seldom wore. When she was done she walked out into the bedroom but stopped in her tracks when she saw Rhale sitting on the bed staring at the wall with empty eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Celia asked worriedly

Rhale rubbed his face with his hands “We need to finish our conversation from last night.”

“Conversation?” Celia didn’t remember any conversation.

“When I came to the bed?”

“Did we talk?” She was confused by his words, what had they talked about?

“You don’t remember'' He looked so forlorn that Celia walked up to him with even more worry. Rhale held out his hand, stopping her. Her heart thudded hard in her chest, had she said something wrong? Done something?

“Yesterday you danced with Khalil”

"Yes...” Was he angry over that? If she had known that it would agitate him she would never have agreed to dance with Khalil.

“You didn’t tell him about the joining.”

“No...”

“Then you didn’t tell Amara about the joining”

“No...” So it was about more than the dancing?

“Then you asked me if I have changed my mind.”

“I did?”

“You did, it made me think that maybe you changed your mind.”

How could he get that idea? She was still looking at him with a very confused look on her face.

“You didn’t tell anyone about the joining”

“Neither did you” she mused “I still don’t understand why you would think that I have changed my mind?”

“It was all of those things combined... and Amara might have said some things.” Rhale moved up to her then but when he was in front of her he continued walking, forcing her to move back until her back hit the wall.

“So you still want to be joined with me?" He asked hoarsely.

“Yes, I didn’t say anything about it because I didn’t know if you wanted me to.” Rhale put his arm on the wall behind her, towering over her as worries she had not planned on voicing spilled from her mouth.

“I’m afraid, I’m afraid that you don’t really want this. I’m afraid that I’ll have a human lifespan and that I’m dooming you to an early grave, I’m afraid” but her confession was cut short as he slammed his lips onto hers.

Rhale pushed his tongue inside, massaging the roof of her mouth as he lifted her up by her thighs. Celia's dress fell to the side and she felt him push himself between her legs, making her moan out in pleasure. He pulled back and looked at her as he pushed himself harder against her.

“The first moment I laid my eyes on you I wanted you, I wanted you like I have never wanted anything in my life. As I got to know you, I wanted you even more and I have a hard time believing that you can really become mine. I want to tie myself to you forever, or only a moment, whatever time we have. I want to be yours and I want you to be mine.”

Celia's eyes filled with tears at his words, what had she ever done to deserve such a wonderful man? Her voice failed her so she put everything she had into a kiss and willed it for him to understand that she felt the same way.

He kissed her back with the same vigor and his hips were pushing into her again and again and again. Celia had never felt such pleasure and it was only building the longer he continued to push himself at her core.

“Fuck” Rhale all of a sudden stopped, putting his forehead against her shoulder. “We need to stop, for the joining to work you need to be untouched.”

He was breathing just as heavy as she was and she tried to catch her breath.

Celia was starting to understand more about what happened between a man and a woman, she was feeling it between her legs right now.

“How did you know I was untouched?” She asked with heavy eyelids.

“Sweet Celia” Rhale kissed her forehead sweetly. “It is in the way you blush, in the way you don’t understand how crazy you drive me. Was I wrong?”

“No, I am untouched and I never want to be touched by anyone but you.”