Aila ran into her hut and was meet with the eyes of her mother and father.

"What did you need me for?" Aila asked.

"Sit down." Tonowari said in a calm voice. "Me and your mother need to know something." He stated.

"Well, what is it?"

"It has been almost a week since our last talk, we need to know your decision." Tonowari stated.

Aila was stunned she could hardly form words. She hadn't even thought about it, she didn't want any of the "potential mates" that her father had mentioned.

"But father I haven't made up my mind."

"What, we asked you to think about it, and quickly."

"But I-" Aila was cut off by her fathers voice beginning to raise.

"Didn't we?!"

"Yes, but I haven't thought about it."

"Aila I don't know what you think quickly is but it shouldn't take you longer than a week." Tonowani said as he rubbed his temples.

"I JUST HAVEN'T...thought about it." Aila said trying to calm herself.

"YOU DO NOT RAISE YOU VOICE AT ME!" Tonowani said standing up and pointing towards the ground.

"YOU SHOULDVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS!"

"WELL WHAT DO YOU EXPECT, I WAS UNCONSCIOUS FOR THREE DAYS!" Aila said standing up and gazing into her fathers eyes.

Tonowari didn't reply and just stood there, unphased by his daughters words.

"AND YOU DIDNT EVEN CARE TO COME CHECK ON ME!" Aila said as a lump began to form in her throat.

"Well since you haven't decided, I guess we will just decide for you." Tonowani said as his voice was calmed down but still held anger.

"You can't do that, it's my life!" Aila said lowering her voice.

"Yes we can, if this were Aonung he would've decided already. You disappoint me daughter." Tonowani said turning his back to Aila. "I wish Aonung was first born." Tonowari whispered to himself but Aila still heard it and he didn't even realize it.

Aila's eyes started to swell with tears, even her mother didn't notice. Aila couldn't help the tears falling down her face.

Tonowari and Ronal were talking by themselves, low enough to where Aila couldn't hear.

"How can they just decide for me, it's my life. If it were Aonung they would let him choose. I know that my father has always favorited Aonung but I always just thought it was because he was his only son not because I'm a disappointment to him." Aila thought to herself while gazing at the floor.

"Aila, it has been decided." Tonowari's voice cut Aila's train of thought.

"Me and your mother have decided that you are to mate with, Niri'te" Tonowari simply stated.

Aila kept her gaze on the floor. She didn't shake her head or anything, tears just kept flowing down, faster than before.

"Aila, do you hear me?" Tonowari questioned.

Aila looked up at him with sadness in her eyes. She couldn't shake her head because she wanted to unhear it but she couldn't. All she could do was gaze into her fathers eyes, hoping to see remorse, but she didn't.

"Did you?" He questioned again.

"Yes." Aila simply stated diverting her gaze from her father to her mother.

"Good, we will leave you now." Tonowari said.

"Mom!" Aila said looking into her mothers eyes, hoping she would change her mind.

"I'm sorry, but it's your fathers choice not mine." Ronal said as she placed her hand on Aila's shoulder and squeezed it slightly.

"We will have a celebration tonight to announce the news. We are going to tell Niri'te's family. Goodbye, daughter." Tonowari stated.

Tonowani and Ronal walked out of the hut, leaving Aila alone with her thoughts.

'*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*'

Eclipse had begun to fall just minutes after her parents left their hut, leaving Aila alone.

Aila ran out of her family's hut, tears steaming down her face. She only wanted to see one person, Lo'ak. The only person that could help her in the state she was in.

She was frantically looking for him, screaming his name. She was glad no one was out, she didn't want anyone seeing her like this.

"LO'AK. LO'AK. LO'AK" she screamed continuously.

She had been running around, screaming his name for what felt like hours when in fact it had only been minutes. She was exhausted, from running but also crying. She was weak.

"LO'AK." She screamed with the last ounce of strength she had. "Where are..you."

She was exhausted. She couldn't go anymore. Her knees hit the sand. She was just hoping that Lo'ak had heard her. She closed her eyes, her heart hurt.

Aila heard a echo in the distance, "Aila!" She didn't know who it was, she couldn't make it out.

The voice got closer, "Aila." She heard her name once again, this time the voice being a little more clear but she still couldn't make out who the voice belonged to.

"Aila" she heard the voice once again, closer. She heard footsteps beside her, "are you ok, what happened." She heard the voice again. She still couldn't make it out but then she felt hands on her waist and she immediately realized who it was. It sent a shiver down her spine.

"Lo'ak." Aila said as she started to open her eyes as the hands on her waist started to lift her up.

Lo'ak got her up on her feet, keeping an arm around her waist for stability.

"Thank you." Aila stated as she gazed into Lo'ak's eyes.

"Aila, what happened."

"Roots." Was all Aila could mumble.

"You want to go to the roots?" Lo'ak questioned.

Aila just simply shook her head.

Lo'ak grasped her waist tighter as they started walking towards the roots.

'*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*'

Lo'ak had brought Aila to the roots. He laid her down on one of the smoother roots he could find and bent down on his knees beside her.

"Aila, hey, what happened?" He questioned as he moved the hair out of her face.

Aila still had tears streaming down her face. She didn't feel like talking at all. She just felt like there was a void in her chest. Aila looked up at Lo'ak and formed a small smile. She was glad he was here with her.

"Just lay with me, please." Aila mumbled just enough so Lo'ak could hear.

Lo'ak mumbled and laid down next to her. Aila moved into Lo'ak's arms, finding comfort in his warmth.

"My dad called me a disappointment. He said that he wished Aonung was born first so he wouldn't have all the trouble with having me as the heir." Aila stated as tears started to stream heavily down her face.

"I'm sorry, Aila. I know how you feel. I've always felt like I'm in Neteyam's shadow. Like my dad sees him as the perfect son and me as a screw up." Lo'ak stated as he pulled Aila closer and his grasp around Aila tighted.

"I guess we're both just a couple of outcasts, hmmm" Aila stifled a laugh as well as Lo'ak.

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𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲-
I have stuff planned for the next chapter 🤭. But I hope y'all liked this chapter. Thank y'all for all the votes and reads I really do appreciate it!

Please vote and comment if you can <33