Leaving the Horse

Chapter 12

No! Damen was the one Jonah had told me was responsible for causing the evil in this country. He was peer evil. I was Latvia's daughter! Not his!

"I don't believe you," I said through gritted teeth, "tell me the truth! Who is my father? Is he dead? Does he defy you? What," I began to shout.

"I see you have been told plenty on my evil. Did anyone ever tell you who your father was, Jauda? No? Maybe the reason was because it was me. I am not evil though. I keep this country in check."

"I check?" I spat, forgetting about being cautious. "You keep this country in check by enslaving people and making them fear you? You tried to kill my mother! And you did! There is no way you could be my father!"

"If they don't have a leader to follow, then this world would be chaos!" protested Damen, drawing forward angrily.

I stood my ground, lifting my chin in defiance. "Their leader is the Lord! Their king! Heath!"

Suddenly, quick as lightning, Damen swung a powerful arm and smack my face so hard that I fell to the ground in shock. I could feel my cheek start to swell up where he hit me and it stung. I gasped as I held my face with one hand, using my other hand to support me as he kneeled down in front of me, slowly.

"You know what happens to those who go against me, Jauda?" Damen asked, barely above a whisper. "No? They are killed. It's a painful death, I assure you."

I spat in his face. He flinched back as I gasped, "You don't know who my father is, do you?" As I said this, I got to my feet and backed quickly away from him until I collided into one of his men in black who pushed me forward.

Damen's face grew red with anger as he wiped the saliva off his face. I suddenly felt really scared. Then suddenly he took a deep breath and calmed down. "You want proof? Latvia was my wife. She loved me for my riches, my power and my looks. I was never mean to her, so she loved everything you could love in a person like me. We wanted a child. So then you were born. She knew you would be powerful since she had strong magic and shape shifting skills while I had strong magic and strength. So, I found out she used me to get a powerful baby. Once you were born and she was fit again, she ran off with you, wanting to hoard your power to herself to use you as a slave to do her will. She wanted to rule the country. So I had no choice but to stop her. To save you. I may not care for much, but my daughter, I do indeed care for." He looked down and struggled to say, "I am sorry for striking at you. I do have a temper these days after the betrayal." He looked up. "But I promise you, I will not let anyone touch you again. You can live in peace with me at my palace south and together, we can rule this land as partners."

"No..." I didn't want to believe it. Certainly I wasn't born to evil parents? I couldn't have! "It's not true!"

"There are many who could tell you that I am indeed your father. I can gather witnesses," offered Damen.

"No... No!" I shouted. It wasn't true. It was impossible. My parents were good! He wasn't my father. "I will not do any such evils with you! It'll never happen! You misjudge me, Damen! I am nothing compared to you. I am not your daughter!"

Damen's face darkened. "If that's what you think, perhaps we need to prove it. And nothing proves things better then pain."

I whipped around and smacked the man in black behind me in the face, knocking him to the ground unconscious.

I raced for the opening into the woods to be bombarded by several men in black grasping my arms.

I screamed angrily, struggling to get loose. They turned me to face Damen.

"See? You've got some strength to you," Damen snickered.

"Human strength proves nothing you creep!" I spat angrily, thrusting to get away. Then I thought of my horse. I could run them over and run to freedom! I began to shape shift.