Moon Goddess (Completed)

Chapter 6

All of Olympus had disappeared when Kamaria danced with Ki. When his eyes held hers and they spun around the dance floor, time itself stopped. She loved being around him, he always knew how to make her smile.

That's what best friends are for   she reminded herself.

But now Ki had gone, leaving her to face her engagement ball alone. Well not really alone, for she knew she had to find Sethos, no matter how much she wished otherwise. And no matter what she couldn't meet Ki in the Gardens. 

She tried to stay focused on finding Sethos among the dresses and intricate masks but her heart was not in it. In fact the last thing she wanted to do was find him. All she could think of is the Gardens, and the darkness her and Ki could disappear into.

"May I have this dance?" She startled at the velvet voice as a hand was placed on the small of her back.

Her breath escaped in a gasp when she saw a pair of dark eyes behind the black mask with red details. This was no stranger, Sethos had found her.

She nodded in response and allowed him to escort her to the center of the room.

The music had begun and Seth pulled her tightly to him as they twirled and stepped with the music. Kamaria was not as graceful as she had been when she danced with Ki. There were to many Gods around them, swarming in to suffocate her. She tried her best to keep up appearances, even though the oxygen was becoming hard to find.

Seth's hand tightened on her back and she was pulled closer to his chest, as impossible as Kamaria thought that could be.

"You look beautiful tonight, my dear" his velvet whisper sending a shudder down her spine. 

"You look very handsome yourself, Seth"

"Don't call me that in public, dearest" his laughter was low but his dark eyes serious.

Kamaria startled, unsure what he meant by that.

"If you wish me to call you Sethos, I-"

"No, Seth is fine for my wife to call me, but I prefer in public to be called Sethos. It is more formal." An uneasy feeling grew inside her stomach at the mention of the word "wife".

The fact of the matter was that Kamaria still felt completely indifferent to her future husband. She could do without his company, and in reality she preferred it that way, but there was no rhyme or reason as to why.

Their dance seemed to last forever, as the spun and weaved through all the Gods that had come to wish them a happy engagement. The more she tried to focus on her breathing, the more the oxygen disappeared.

When the music finally ended, Kamaria sighed in relief. But Seth intertwined their arms and pulled her to the front of the room. She looked anxiously around for any type of saving grace but there was none. She feared for what was coming.

What if they had planned for her to marry Sethos right now? Her heart dropped at the very thought, and when she caught sight of her mother smiling happily nearby, panic began to consume her.

Sethos smiled happily as he took a spot at the front of the crowded gathering and placed Kamaria by his side.

He cleared his throat loudly and the whole room fell eerily quite. "I'd like to thank all of you for coming out to congratulate my future bride and myself" his velvet voice talking clearly and calmly, but the whole room would be able to hear.

"I'd like to make a small speech" Kamaria's heart immediately felt lighter and she let a smile take over her lips. A speech she could handle, a marriage not so much.

"Tonight, I get to introduce the Goddess of Night as my fiance. It has been many years that this has been planned and I could not be happier that the time is finally here." Sethos handed Kamaria a drink from the table near him and placed his arm around her back, resting his hand on her hip. Kamaria smiled nervously as he raised his glass and looked at her.

"So here is to our future, my dear. I will work to make you happy always - for as long as I live you will never want for anything - I promise." Sethos touched his glass to hers before swallowing the contents in one gulp. Kamaria mimicked his actions not knowing what else to do. She already knew what he said was a lie, she would start the marriage wanting something - to not have married him.

The room erupted in cheers as Sethos placed a kiss on Kamaria's cheek. She smiled at him when his eyes met hers, but her thoughts weren't with Sethos or even the ball - they were in the garden with Ki.

I mustn't go - I cannot go. He is not my fiance, I am needed here   She searched the crowd for Ki, wanting to signal that she would not be going to the garden, but he wasn't anywhere to be found.

Gods began to surround them, offering their congratulations. She gave her heart one more second to mourn before forcing a fake smile.

Kamaria glanced out of the ballroom windows and her chest tightened - night was completely upon Olympus. She searched the room again for Ki but he was nowhere to be found.

Again her eyes drifted to the window. Was he out there, alone waiting for her?

I can't go to him  Kamaria glanced at Sethos who was talking happily to some of his friends that she didn't bother to get to know. The longer she stared at him the more her smile faded. As harsh a reality as it was, Sethos was her future and Ki in the gardens, was her past.