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All Chapters of Io’s Cursed Betrayal: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

43 chapters

Anger is such a powerful emotion. It fuels our feelings and actions, making us do things that we never imagined. It grows beyond the bounds. It festers and can be all encompassing. Everyone experiences it. Everyone has reveled in the power it can bring. Or the fear and the weakness it shows to those on the hunt. It is so easily used against those that cannot control its fury and, in the end, becomes their greatest doom. It became mine. As I stand on a hotel balcony, the world is blanketed in the mystery of the black night sky. The brightness of the thousands of stars I see shimmering bring to heart feelings of such great sorrow. Each of those beautiful spheres are the blazes of the fires of the many loves I had during my long life and what became of them. Some of the loves came by choice while others I was consumed with an undeniable hunger to have. They remind me of the regret and love I am filled with, for they are the souls of the children that I will never meet. But alas

First Meeting

Io’s Cursed Betrayal/Antonya Mcclelland

The story of my love begins exactly eighteen years from that sorrowful day. My birthday. My father and I were sitting at our meager dinner table made of wood that we had kept through the years. A giant rice cake sat in the middle of the table as we chatted about the new parchment, he got me from town last week. He may not have been able to send me to school but over the years he passed on his and my mother’s love of reading to me. As our conversation over the parchment ended my father excused himself to his room and returned with a package which resembled the size of our face basin. When I first saw the package, I was a little filled with disappointment because what I desired was an adventure as my gift. I wanted more than anything to go to the celebration of Hanami tomorrow. It was a celebration that the main village threw every year for all to attend to watch the cherry blossoms bloom. We saw it as a time of renewal and a reminder to enjoy the fleeting nature of life. The b

Sunsets

Io’s Cursed Betrayal/Antonya Mcclelland

Two days’ time has once more passed. I arrived home a little after midday from my work and am looking to pass the time. I decide to pick up the book Draco has gotten me and begin to read where I left off. When I hear noise, I am jerked out of my sleep. I had closed my eyes for but a moment after finishing this emotional tale. I get up from my kang and discover that my father is in the kitchen making dinner. I had slept through him coming in from work. As I watch him heat up the fish and rice I think about Draco’s book. I feel like there was another message for me there in the story. I just cannot quite put my finger on it. When my father takes his seat, I slide the book across the table to him. Even though I wish to read it again I will wait until he has finished. I know it will be in no time at all that I will receive it back. He reads so much faster than I. As we eat our meal, we hear another knock at the door. My father looks at me in silent question if I am receiving him, I s

Io’s Birth

Io’s Cursed Betrayal/Antonya Mcclelland

I was introduced into this world on the eve of my mother’s death. Through the many stories of my father, I learned what I could about the woman I loved but would never know. She was called Sakura after the season of the cherry blossoms. She was a petite, delicate woman of pale skin. In her joy and happiness, she would turn the gentle pink of the flowers of the season. My father was named Homura after the blaze one would see during his anger if it ever showed. They fell in love when they met during the labor of the wheat fields. My father says the male and females worked the opposite sides of the field. When he saw her for the first time, he says he knew from a fire in his belly that this woman would someday be his bride. According to him my mother did not feel the same immediately but through his gifts she was warmed to his proposal. As they worked in those fields of wheat not a word could be said but many of the workers sang songs upon the breeze as a way to pass the time

Draco

Io’s Cursed Betrayal/Antonya Mcclelland

The walk to her home was brief. On it we discussed some of our favorite things that we had read. When she told me that she had never read an actually book but only pieces of parchment given to her by her father, I had to give her a look of incredulity. Most of the people in my village bought books so often that I had never known there were those who could not afford it. After finding this out I was curious to know more about the differences of our villages that were only separated by a hill. So, I asked. “What would you say is a different custom that happens in your village from what you observed today.” As she pondered the question she explained “Well, I found it odd today that I didn’t see those at the celebration offering an embrace or even anyone holding hands. We see affection so often here that I thought it was normal.” At this I had to laugh. In my mind I could not fathom the image of others walking around in our village doing public displays of affection. “So, i

Attraction-Io

Io’s Cursed Betrayal/Antonya Mcclelland

The time of waiting for those two days seemed like an eternity. The parts of the day where I worked in the paddy fields were unable to distract my mind for once. I normally found the art of gathering husk of rice to be calming and a mindless action. At this time in March, we are still in the process of sowing our fields. The paddy fields must all be leveled before we began planting in a week’s time. This requires the men to use large rolling pins to make repeated paths across the land until it is all at the same depth. My job with the women consists of digging up small stones and other foreign objects that could impede the growth of the rice. As for the sections that are done being leveled, we must begin to flood them by carrying large basins of water to it from the river. This is a task that sometimes the men help with. As I stand in the field having poured my last basin of water into my section for the day, I take a look at the sun. It is almost high in the center of the sk

Family-Draco

Io’s Cursed Betrayal/Antonya Mcclelland

My heart races in my chest so loudly that it is a pounding my ears. I can feel my blood rushing underneath my skin as my body heats. The skin of my groin is stretched tight and even though my robes are loose from her tugging they suddenly feel like too much. As I take a deep breath, I run a hand through my hair to try to contain myself. “Io” I breath out her name. She slowly opens her eyes and bites her bottom lip. I feel myself harden further. As the air pauses, I remember her innocence. “Are you alright” I ask. As she blushes and looks away, I reach out a hand to turn her face back to mine but with hesitation I drop it back to my side. After a moment she meets my gaze again and nods softly. I clear the heat in my throat and lean back toward her. I look at her and notice a shine to her eyes that I have never seen before. Her hair has all been swept toward her back and tucked neatly behind her ears. There is a sheen of pink on her normally pale skin and the pink of her lips have d

Scolding-Io

Io’s Cursed Betrayal/Antonya Mcclelland

As I enter our hut, I rush to our bathing room to ready for supper. I realize how hungry I am as I was my hands and face as I have not eaten since morning. A part of me wishes that I could avoid sharing a meal with my father because he seems to be in a mood today. I feel as if he acted untoward to Draco today even though they had just met. I know my father is going to want to talk about my day. Specifically, I think the conversation will linger on the kiss I shared with Draco outside. I feel my cheeks heat at the small taste of him still on the tip of my tongue. Father looked so displeased. I am at a woman’s age. I have seen many of the others in my village kiss when being wooed. I have not the faintest idea in my mind to why my father would look at us in contempt for completing such an act. He should be happy for me that I have found someone. I decide that I may as well get the conversation over with. I take a deep breath and exit my room. When I enter the dining room, he ha

The Set Up-Draco

Io’s Cursed Betrayal/Antonya Mcclelland

When I return home, it is dark. As I look out my window at the stable, I see no horses. My mother has not returned. Food has been left on my bed by one of the servants. I sit down to eat. As I lift the lid I see smoked chicken, rice, and peas. It is still warm to the touch, and I am famished. I clear my plate quickly. As I pass by my wardrobe, I see that a servant has already been in to pack my bags for the trip tomorrow. I sigh. This is the generals silent command when we are to leave for a journey at daybreak. I know I need to get some sleep. As I lay on my kang so many thoughts run through my mind. I hope my mother returns in time for the trip so that it is not just me and the general. That would be a journey more dreadful than just going to meet my future bride. The thought has my emotions easily flip to anger. I do not want this. I will not label her as my bride. She will just be a girl that I meet tomorrow. A part of me hopes that things go bad, and my parents reth

The Plan-Draco

Io’s Cursed Betrayal/Antonya Mcclelland

As I follow Shee out into the hall I take another look at her figure now that she is standing. She is much shorter than I thought. Where the top of Io’s head reaches my shoulder, hers would barely come up to my chest. She has a very curvy figure and walks with a wide gate. As she takes a turn, I see an exit ahead that must lead to the outside of the grounds. She picks up her pace and I take longer strides to keep up. I find it odd that she is supposed to be giving me a tour and yet she has said nothing. As we round her hut I look around. The ground has been leveled into a path lined with rocks. On either side there are rows of pink peonies and lotus. The fragrance is soothing and appealing. As we walk a bit further down that path, I see servants tending horses in their stables. She heads in that direction as I follow. When we reach the stables, she finally speaks. “You are dismissed I wish to speak privately” she commands. Her voice is thick and breathy. As the servants leave

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