Chapter 61: chapter 61

The first day of the Midsummer Festival had arrived, bringing the whole village together in the square. Laughter and music filled the air as people clapped and danced to the cheerful tunes of fiddles and drums. The delicious smell of roasted meat and freshly baked bread drifted through the warm breeze. Women stood by large, crackling fires, their hands covered in flour as they kneaded dough and chopped fresh vegetables, working together to prepare a grand feast.Young girls sat in circles, weaving colorful garlands of wildflowers—daisies, violets, and buttercups—to decorate the village hall. The men, dressed in their best clothes, performed sacred rituals, their deep voices chanting prayers. Others carried heavy wooden poles wrapped in ivy and set up long tables under the open sky, preparing for the evening’s feast.Children ran through the crowd, laughing and playing, their bare feet kicking up dust. Their joyful squeals mixing with the sounds of the festival.Amelia and Lucy were in the kitchen, their sleeves rolled up as they worked the dough for the festival bread. Their fingers pressed and folded the soft mixture, shaping it into perfect rounds. The warm scent of freshly baked loaves filled the room, mingling with the spicy aroma of stews simmering in large pots.Mrs. Haraldson, stepped into the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. She had a keen eye for everything happening in the village. As soon as she saw Amelia, her expression turned curious."Amy, dear," she began, her voice warm but laced with curiosity. "I saw the king’s men at your house today when I was on my way here. Do you know what business they have with your father?"Amelia's hands paused mid-knead. The cheerful light in her eyes dimmed, and for a brief moment, she looked as though someone had struck her. A shadow passed over her face, and she swallowed hard before responding."I don’t know, Mrs. Haraldson," she said, her voice quieter than before.Lucy, sensing Amelia’s unease, glanced at her friend with concern. But before she could say anything, Amelia turned to her, her voice urgent."Lucy, I have to go home."Lucy hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod of understanding.Without another word, Amelia untied her apron and hurried toward the door."Where are you going?" one of the other women called out. "We still have so much to do!"But Amelia didn’t stop. She couldn’t. A heavy weight pressed against her chest, and fear gripped her heart like a cold hand. The king’s men at her house—it could mean only one thing. The king had not forgotten her.She ran through the village path, her breath coming in quick gasps. The festivities blurred into the distance as dread settled deep in her bones. Something was wrong. She could feel it.By the time Amelia reached home, the king’s men were already gone. The front door stood slightly ajar, creaking as it swayed in the breeze. The house was eerily quiet, but as she stepped inside, she immediately noticed her parents' anxious expressions. Her father, Eric, sat at the dining table, staring into the void. Her mother, Alexis, stood near the table, wringing the edge of her apron between trembling fingers."Papa," Amelia panted, barely catching her breath. "Why were the king’s men here? What did they say to you?"Eric remained silent, his jaw tightening. The shadows under his eyes deepened, and his shoulders sagged as if burdened by an invisible weight.Amelia turned to her mother, desperation creeping into her voice. "Mama, please… tell me why they came."Alexis hesitated before finally speaking, her voice hushed yet heavy with worry. "The king has invited us to the castle… for a meal with him."Amelia's heart pounded. A bitter taste rose in her throat. "We’re not going, right, Mama?" She searched her mother’s face for reassurance, for some sign that they would refuse.Alexis lowered her gaze, her lips pressed into a tight line. "They threatened your father, Amelia. If we disobey the king, there will be consequences."A chill ran down Amelia’s spine. She covered her mouth with her hands, sinking onto the wooden floor as dread settled deep within her. Her worst fears had come true. She had spent months trying to bury the past, to believe that it was over. But she had been wrong."I thought it was over," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I thought he had forgotten about me."Alexis knelt beside her, pulling Amelia into her arms. "Oh, my child… We will not let anything happen to you this time," she murmured, stroking her daughter's hair. "The new king is different from the last. They say he is wise and kind. We will beg him if we must… until he changes his mind."Tears slipped down Alexis’s cheeks, her grip tightening around Amelia as if she could shield her from whatever fate awaited them.Adam, Amelia’s little brother, pressed himself against the wall behind the door, his small frame hidden in the shadows. His breath came in quick, uneven gasps as he listened to the conversation unfolding in the next room. The moment he heard the king’s men had come, a cold fear wrapped around his heart like a vice. He knew what it meant. He had seen firsthand how cruel they could be.His hands gripped the rough wooden frame, his knuckles turning white. His legs trembled, from memories he wished he could forget.No. Not again.A lump formed in his throat as he tried to swallow his fear. He wanted to burst into the room, to tell them they couldn’t let Amelia go, that they had to run far away. But he was just a boy. What could he do?