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  Bestla was quick to give Delilah all her support in planning my wedding to Loki. Delilah's father, however, was not as thrilled. He approached her after Bestla took Oila to her room, He asked her if I'd used black magic to trick Loki into marriage. Delilah was not thrilled, she explained to her father, she was in love with Loki and now that Amara's gone. They can finally be as one. He then asked me if she'd harmed Amara. Delilah became infuriated. She felt his concern was for a girl who was not even his daughter, a mere savage beast. He was worried she had harmed her. So, in anger she made her father blind, deaf, and mute, he was confined to his room immediately by a helper. Delilah was not going to let anything ruin her day. How could she do this to her own father? Delilah was evil indeed. Delilah knew Bestla had hired a few more helper. They assisted with the farm, washing, meal preparing, and Oila. Delilah felt with all this help; they could help her father as well. Abbe was rushed upstairs, with no questions asked. Delilah noticed a new worker approaching her. Delilah felt there was something oddly familiar about the servant but was not too concerned. Her wedding was just in a few hours "Madam Delilah, your groom has arrived" says the new servant Eliza. "Please allow me to prepare, after all, it is bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," says Delilah. She rushes upstairs to prepare for the wedding of her dreams. Eliza notices there is no one requesting to help Delilah get ready; she feels that once done with Loki. She will ask Delilah for any help. Eliza walks over to the door to open it. Once opened she allows Loki and his entourage into the palace. "Your bride is preparing for your nuptials," says Eliza. She could see that he was not concerned with Delilah, Loki was looking back into the woods. It seemed as if there was something else on his mind. "Thank you, Eliza, You may be excused, I have to leave out into the woods, please do not discuss this with anyone at the moment, I will return when it is time to wed my bride," says Loki. Eliza leaves but feels the overwhelming concern that Loki has a love for another person, and that person is not his soon to be bride. Eliza, she was a widow, and all her children were grown. Bestla was fond of Eliza. Eliza reminded her of her someone. Eliza had white hair she wore in a bun. She was tall, petite, and slender. She had motherly nurturing eyes that were hazel. Eliza had a good spirit about her, but like most Eliza had a very dark secret. Delilah was beginning to question Eliza. It was something about her, but she could not place her finger on it based on the first impression. She reminded Delilah of someone she met many years ago, named Demelza. Demelza was tall, slender, with freckles. Demelza had one eye brown and the other eye light gray. Her hair was white as snow, which she wore in a bun. She was told to me by my mother, that she was a friend. The interesting part is Demelza disappeared suddenly after Peeva's death. After Demelza had come into the picture, Delilah felt her mother became strange, and later her mother was killed. It seemed strange to a 13-years-old and even stranger to a grown woman. She grew even angrier to remember her father later told her that Demelza was with her mother at the time of her death. Delilah and her father never saw her again. Delilah was convinced that Demelza has something to do with her mother's death, she vowed she would do to her what she did or allowed to be done to my mother. She knew Demelza had something to do with my mother's life being taken. Bestla walks into Delilah room; she notices that everything is already pulled out and laid on the bed. There was really nothing to do. She felt strange and could not place her finger on it. Maybe she would have considered that she was in Amara's room, and the dress on the bed was the dress Bestla had made a few months before. The dress was made for Amara. She may have felt that Delilah had taken Amara's room and redecorated it to be her own. Bestla immediately left the room; her inner core was telling her something, but she was unsure of what it was. As Bestla left the room, she was met by Eliza. "Madam Bestla, is everything alright? You seem a little rattled, would you like some water" replies Eliza. "No, Eliza I am well, I am on my way to check on my husband and daughter. I will return shortly. Please excuse me". Eliza knew that Bestla was not honest about her odd disposition, but she watched her walk away. Eliza knocked on the door, which was slightly open, and she could see where Delilah was seated putting on her powder "Who is there, please come in" saying Delilah happily. Eliza walks into the room. "It is me Madam, Eliza, I am here for your needs" she replies. Delilah gazed into Eliza's eyes, which was returned with avoidance as if she were ignoring the connection. Delilah paid her no mind, besides she needed all the help around the house because she was not concerned with the house's needs. She was set to marry Loki, and nothing was going to distract her from that. "Loki? Has he arrived?" saying, Delilah, as she runs to Amara's bed to put on the same dress Amara was set to wear for her wedding to Loki. "He is here, but do not be concerned he ran into the woods, he shall return in time for the wedding" replies Eliza. Delilah visibly upset, snaps and throws down the dress, with white lace, and beautiful sparkles, and picks up a vase and throws it at the door. "Get Out!" saying, Delilah, as she points to the door for Eliza to exit. "Yes, I will do so. If you need anything, please". Before Eliza could finish Delilah screamed, "GET OUT BEFORE I MAKE YOU SORRY!" Eliza rushes out of the room and closes the door behind her. Eliza stands there and listens to Delilah throwing glass around screaming, and it made her smile. Eliza walked away and all the other help walking in the hallway, seemed to be concerned, but they did not go into the room. They just returned to their quarters. In the woods, Loki was still running around searching for that poor beast, or Amara. He came in contact a few times, and he never understood why the ogre never tried to attack him. The beast would run and hide in the woods. "The bloody creature is a coward," Loki says as he is standing in the middle of the forest with his sword. "Sir if we stay any longer, you will miss your wedding" saying one of his men. "Something is not right; this creature is scared of everything. I will not believe it took Amara. Come out! You bloody beast!" Loki yells looking around believing the beast can understand him. "Sir please, you must leave now. You must still love her; you still love her?" saying his friend. "Amara was beautiful, alluring, and patient. She had beauty only a few possess" saying Loki. "Why are you marrying Delilah? Why aren't you out here every day searching for Amara?" says his friend. Loki could not find the words to express his feeling for Delilah. "I must marry Delilah; she is not Amara, but I have been with Delilah just long as I have with Amara. Amara was my love, my first choice; Delilah was upset when I told her I would pick Amara over her. Oddly, that is the reason that I can remember" saying Loki. "I deserve Delilah, she is like me, rotten" Loki continues. "Let us leave, I will return tomorrow, I must find Amara or the ratchet creature who took her, I WILL NOT REST UNTIL IT IS DEAD!" screaming Loki, he felt the creature was near, but could not waste any more time looking for it. They rush back to the palace so that he could wed Delilah. It sickened Delilah; Loki would leave each time and come back ranting about how it will not attack and how he felt bad chasing it. Delilah thought of a plan but wanted to be married to Loki first.

  Chapter 3 The Wedding and the days after

  Before the wedding, Delilah was determined to keep her word. She was going to make sure Loki did not step foot into that forest looking for Amara, but to only to kill the beast. She saw that Loki had returned she began to use her magic to clean up the room, she was skilled with her magic, and it did her work for her. The room was nice and clean. Delilah could not handle the silence, so she picked up that ratchet bell and rang it over and over again. Most of the servant came rushing into Delilah's room. This time the sound of the bell was not pleasing to Delilah. "Louder, Louder, Louder" saying Delilah. She decided to make it bigger and louder. Out of nowhere, a big bell appeared in her room, and it would ring, before the wedding, during the wedding, and after the wedding. The guest was disturbed by its sound. It was another way for Delilah to have control and to make sure everyone knew today was about her and no one else. No one could question the bell since Delilah made sure no one would. She was abusing every inch of her power. She did not care about the consequences. In fact, she may
have looked forward to the unknown effects. Instead of having a few hour wedding. Delilah celebrated for three days. Keeping all her guest for three long days to celebrate her wedding day. All the while, she had Abbandon searching to capture Amara. She wanted Abbandon to capture Amara as the beast, so Loki could get close enough to kill her. In her eyes, a genuine way for Amara to go out, by the hand of her true love. Abbandon would return each time with no sign of Amara in hand. Strangely, Delilah hoped nothing too bad happened to Amara. Never the less, Delilah was still celebrating at her wedding. After Delilah and Loki were married things changed. Since Loki and Delilah had gotten married; Loki had become lazy, crude, and sloppy. Delilah believed it might have been the spell. He would tell Delilah he was leaving to search for the bestia, but Abbandon would report seeing neither, he or Amara. Five years pasted and still no sign of Amara. Delilah decided to keep Abbandon out of the woods he was running around screaming at the moon. He was so loud, cursing Delilah, wishing he were still a man. Everyone could hear him always on a full moon. That was one part of consequence besides Loki was considering killing him and Delilah could not bear it if he did. Delilah wanted to believe that Amara was out there all by herself no food, she is probably dead. Delilah knew she would not harm an animal to stay alive. Nor could she kill, she would rather be killed. Delilah just loved that about her. Delilah felt that Amara was so weak!

  Oila still blind walks into her mother's room. Her stepfather Abbe was asleep, Oila could hear him snore. Oila had a long stick she used for support and to feel her way through the halls. "Oila," said Bestla "you need to sit down and rest, it has been a long day, you know the wedding and all." Oila did not respond to her mother at first and instead opted to wait for a few seconds to present her case. "Mother I don't think you understand, Loki is not the same, he has stopped looking for Amara," said Oila, who was sitting down at that time in a chair, in her mother's room. Her mother Bestla was brushing her hair. Bestla replied, "I do understand, but you must know he's a married man now." Oila felt as though her mother lost all hope and did not want to believe that Amara was still alive. Any mention of Amara her mother shut it all down. "Mother, how could you give up on her, she is your flesh and blood. You treat Delilah as if she is your daughter. She will never be Amara! Never!" says Oila storming out her mother's room and into her room. She ran to her bed where she laid and sobbed. Bestla follows her and opens her door that Oila had slammed. "Oila you mustn't display such emotion, a lady must conceal how she feels until the proper time. Right now is not the time "says Bestla. Bestla rushes over and rubs Oila's head. Oila moves her head up from a pillow, wiping the tears from her face. Oila replies to her mother, "mother you mustn't display such emotion, you don't even speak of her or act as if you care. I want to know, do you care mother? I want to know. If it were me missing, would your heart mourn for me? Or will turn cold with disregard?" Oila was still sobbing as she spoke her concerns to her mother. Bestla decided not to answer she gets up from Oila side and leaves the room. Oila turns her head back to her pillow and sobs. She felt that her suspicions were correct. Her mother would not deal with the hurt. She would hold it all in and never let anyone see her.

  As Bestla enters her room, she notices that Abbe had awakened and sitting at the edge of their bed. "Abbe what is the matter?" says Bestla. Abbe could not respond he could not even see or hear. He had no idea what was going on around him. All he could do was eat and sleep. Bestla felt it was best to hand him a sheet of paper and pen. He scribbles down Delilah name. Bestla does not stay to read more. She walks back to her desk and begins to brush her hair. After Abbe is finished writing on the paper. He lets the paper and the pen land to the floor. He lays back down and with his eyes open. Inside he wished, he could stop what is going on, but he feels he has no way to stop it.

  Meanwhile, Addandon was being hunted by Loki. "That treacherous beast kept me up all night!" says Loki. Abbandon was not afraid to fight. He appeared out of the dark wrestling each one to the ground leaving them all bloodied and bruised. Loki devised a plan. He was not going to have his tail handed to him any longer. He devised a plan to set a trap. Delilah heard of his plan one evening when Loki and his men returned from fighting Abbandon. They were bruised and battered. They all were muddy and scary. Delilah decided to change Abbandon back into a human; she did not want anything happening to Abbandon. Even though it seemed, Abbandon could handle himself. Delilah made good on her word. She changed Abbandon back into a handsome servant. She feels she needs more eyes around the house. In the short period, Eliza seems to be giving her more attention than she needs. It was odd to Delilah. Delilah had become suspicious of Eliza who she felt was always snooping around after her. She was reluctant to bring Abbandon back into the house. Mainly because of the way he tried to trick her before with a spell. Delilah felt she was smarter than Abbandon. Delilah felt as if she was too smart for Abbandon. She felt she would see any of his plans before he even thought it. Delilah made up her mind about the final stages of her plan. Delilah goes into the woods early one morning before the sun had set and calls out to Abbandon. "Abbandon appears in my sight so that I may blend and replace your flesh, of my flesh, the flesh you were once no more, be my servant, Appear, Appear Abbandon." When Delilah finished her spell Abbandon was in her sight as a man of her flesh. He was built strong, and he was handsome. More handsome than he was before. Abbandon replied, "Why does thou taunt me with her games, I hurt as she hurts, does she not know I love her wicked ways as I do my own?" "Abbandon doesn't be silly; I hurt you? Are you upset?" Laughing Delilah as she turns her back on Abbandon and walks towards the castle. She sharply turns around and looks him in his eyes. She says to him "Abbandon, if you betray me, you will be in more pain than you could ever imagine." Abbandon afraid says to Delilah, "I will do as you wish and nothing more." In Abbandon's mind, he knew he could not show Delilah any evidence of any future betrayals. He would play her little game until he was ready, he had almost the same powers as she. Abbandon was a warlock, a male witch in his other body. He couldn't cast spells before as the beast, but now he can speak.