Concealed Love

Part- 4 Past

Third person POV

                 Million of years ago, humans and demons lived together on the surface of the earth, however they were on constant war with each other, each trying to dominate and exterminate the other. Both the demons and the humans had only one kingdom each ruled by their own rulers, they did not had any last names and almost every person in the kingdom had their own unique names. The demons had long lifespans, they lived a 1000 years at most, however the birth of a girl child was very rare, a single girl was born among a hundred men and they held the women at a very high esteem. The demons turn to ashes when they die and nothing remains of their physical body. The humans on the other hand had a very short lifespan but longer than the modern days. They live for two hundred years at most but they had a very fast population growth.

                    The demons had the abilities to control fire as the wish and hard bodies, the closer a demon is to the Demon Lord the higher their power level but not the women, they were the same as humans except the lifespan. The humans were powerless but they had many martial art styles, the masters had exceptional martial art skills, they were strong enough to stand against the demons but in desire for more power and strength some of the leaders started practicing dark magic. They fall in the wrong path and some even helped out the demons in exchange for power, the human empire was getting weaker as the demon kingdom grew stronger. The heavens took pity upon the weak humans and grant the prince who was still in the empresses womb a devine power. When the child was born the heavens sent down an angel and gave the baby the name Aldrich but in exchange for his power the heavens sealed away all his feelings inorder for him not to fall into the ways and temptations of evil.

               Years past, Aldrich focused on perfecting his power as well as his physical abilities he also is capable of using limitless skills. Void of emotions, he rarely speak and he only had a straight face with no feelings. The king and the queen were always saddened when they saw their son with no expression on his charming face but they were wise and kind rulers, inorder to end the war they were ready to bear the guilt of taking away their son's feelings for peace of mankind. He grew up to be a strong and powerful prince, earning the respect of his followers with his abilities and power known to be stronger than the demon lords'.

               At the age of twenty Aldrich decided to go to war with the demons. The heaven princess, Minerva looking at the brave young prince beside her father innocently fell for him and asked her father to be sent down to earth and assist him with her healing powers in the upcoming war with the demons inorder to secure a perfect victory and with his permission she came down to earth. Along with her and his fifty thousand troops(1/3 of the population during the time)Aldrich finally waged an all out war with the demons. Their enemies the demons army had thirty thousand troops(1/2 of their population),the war started in the place Biraq which lies in the centre of the human empire and the demon kingdom.

                The war went on for almost a month and both the armies had been worn out, the humans had managed to fight their way in the middle of the demon kingdom however a lot of their soldiers had lose their lives, the battlefield was filled with blood and ashes, voices of blades clashing and screams of dying men, the sky seemd as if it was grieving for the war that was going on and for the fallen people as not once did it shone throughout the war, dark clouds gathered and the night stars were never seen. Finally the demon lord and Aldrich fought an intense battle which lasted for three days and the demon lord was defeated eventually leading to the downfall of his kingdom and his armies, a small amount of survivors managed to run away into the underworld however a larger amount were killed. When Aldrich went to claim the demon castle the queen was waiting for him, she had erased her daughter's memories and asked him to spare her daughters life. Looking at the helpless girl lying in the bed soundly amidst the war as if the world around her had stopped, Aldrich agreed. However his mercy was limited and he had to killed the queen, he brought her daughter back to his castle not telling anyone that she was a demon.

                      The humans celebrated their victory as well as mourn for those armies that had lost their lives in the battle, more than thirty thousand troops had lost their lives. Aldrich became a respected prince who was loved by everyone in the kingdom, he looked after the people equally and fulfiled his every duties in a perfect and excellent way, never did he discriminate or prioritise anyone over the others as he was not capable of doing so. He named the demon princess Ella and let her live a normal human life within the castle, giving her all she need as well as some attendants to serve her. Ella led a happy life along with the humans, she herself grew up thinking she is a human, learning their ways. Everything she did and the new things she discoverd or learn she went and shared it with Aldrich, whom she calles Al. She talked to him everyday the events of her life with full spirit and he who does not have emotions listened with the same empty face looking at her smile away however, he always manage to fullfill her every wish.

                    They grew up together and a couple years went by, the surroundings, people and Al changed and grew but Ella remaind the same, she became curious of her past which Al said not to speak about, her parents who she has forgotten and mostly herself of who or what she really is. The explanation that she was found abandoned on the way back from war no longer could satisfy and contain her curiosity. She continue living with the humans, she became friends with Minerva and learned how to read and write from her, sometimes Ella would write some poems or songs and let Al compliment her and sometimes he awarded her with the sweets she loved. Minerva was like a sister to her and vice versa, but the only problem in their relationship was that they were in love with the same man, Al. The time she spend with Al was the happiest time of her day and she listened to his every word, however she could not share it with anyone as Minerva spend most of their time together talking about Al, she always freely expressed her feelings and Ella knew she could not do the same in her case as so many things were at risk: Al's favour, her friendship with Minerva, her uncertain past, she knew too less about herself as much as she love him. Afraid of the uncertainities she chose to cover herself in fear and concealed her feelings so that no one, not even herself would notice it. She convinced herself that the feelings she had for him was not love but a mere admiration towards the shining prince.

                     A couple more years passed and she became more and more curious of herself, words spread of 'the mysterious orphan girl who doesn't age' around the kingdom and people started to look at her as a mysterious being but Minerva and her close attendants kept assuring her that she is everything a normal girl should be. And along with her curiosity her desire and love for her beloved grew, the more she tried to hide the more she yearned for his love, she visited him almost everyday she told him things she never told anyone, make promises for even the little things just to feel a bit closer to him but deep down she knew nothing of these means anything special to him, his closed heart was not made to be penetrated by a little silly girl like her. Knowingly she put herself in a temporary glass illusion of happiness that could be broken any second and that moment was not far from her.

                     One evening as Ella was returning from the prince's palace she was called upon by the queen's maid, as she followed her she saw the queen standing in the bridge feeding the fishes below the bridge in the large pond. The queen dismissed all her maids and they talked alone, after their conversation she looked at Ella with a sorrowful expression and as if almost begging, her voice sounding like a cry said "Iam sorry, child",and walked away. Then, the next morning the king called everyone in the empire to start off the preparations for the new year festival and also for an important news, as soon as the people had gathered, he announced " with the starting of preparations for the new year, the preparation for the prince's wedding shall also begin. One week from know, the prince will be marrying princess Minerva" hearing the news, the kingdom rejoiced, all except Ella who stood as her world suddenly broke apart, feeling empty tears on her bloodless cheeks.