SOLEIL thought she'd be mad once she saw Kalel again.
Although she knew that her husband had been taken over by Kyro, it still frustrated her that he was powerless against his father. She was aware that it was out of Kalel's control and yet, she still couldn't help but feel upset.
"I'm sorry, Soleil," Kalel said while kneeling in front of her with her head hanging low. "I know an apology wouldn't be enough. But that's all I could say to you at the moment."
"That's all you could say to me at the moment?" Soleil asked, offended. "Really, Lord Kalel?"
There was an awkward silence before he spoke again.
"No," he said, then he finally raised his head to meet her gaze. "I have something else to say to you, Soleil."
"What is it?"
"I love you."
To say that she was shocked to hear that would be an understatement.
But most of all, she didn't expect that those words would easily melt her anger away. Hearing how genuine Kalel sounded when he said he loved her made her stupidly happy.
Of course, she was aware that she was being a fool.
But ever since she was a child, she had been used to following her heart. She couldn't break her bad habit. And to be honest, she didn't want to especially when it comes to her husband.
She let out a deep sigh. "I should step down from my position as the Supreme Fire Mage."
Her husband looked shocked by her announcement. "But why?"
"You ripped my heart out in front of everyone, Kalel," she said firmly. "It was a part of our plan. Yes, it didn't fall through because you were possessed by Lord Kyro. But fortunately, my brother was there to revive me."
Her plan with Kalel was supposed to be perfect.
She thought her husband could fight his father. But maybe there was a reason why the ancient gods were invincible up to this day.
"And my clan doesn't know that I'm aware you were going to rip my heart out," she continued. "Although I know that the majority of my clan is fond of me, I'm also aware that most of them are starting to lose their faith in me. Do you know why?"
He nodded slowly, his face crestfallen. "It's because no matter how much I hurt you, you still forgive and accept me in the end."
"Of course, you know," she said. "That's why you keep abusing my love."
"Soleil, it's not like that."
"Let's not talk about this anymore," she said while shaking her head. "I will leave my clan and hand over my position to Solaris."
The authority in their clan was divided into two– hers and Solaris'.
Her brother, Winchell, was the symbol of power. But her brother had heavenly duties and thus, he couldn't stay on earth for a long time. For that reason, the real authority in their clan belonged to her and Solaris.
But everyone knew that she had more power than her nephew.
[That's about to change now.]
"I'm not quitting just for you," she told her husband who already looked guilty by her decision. "We were the ones who led the war that we recently lost. Thus, we have to take responsibility and leave."
The war ended but the empire ruled by Auro Moonchester couldn't invade them totally.
After all, Solaris still had all the pieces of evidence that they had regarding the emperor's cruel human experiment. By that, she meant Auro Moonchester kidnapping all the finest ladies all over the continent to force them to breed with humanoid Crades.
She did reveal his secret to incite the war before.
But the only people who witnessed the documentary that she prepared were the citizens of the empire. Even if the news spread outside the empire, it would be hard to prove their allegations despite the solid evidence that they had.
After all, Auro Moonchester won the war.
[And the victor in war has the power to change the story.]
Auro Moonchester had never publicly admitted his wrongdoings. He was that shameless. But now that he won the war, his words alone would be powerful enough to erase all the doubts that his people had in him recently.
"Auro Moonchester has already begun rewriting history in his favor," she reminded her husband. "He's trying hard to make it look like the war between us was nothing more than a huge misunderstanding. He's currently blaming it on the Crades and claiming that the humanoid Crades had manipulated both of our sides to kill each other. According to your brother's story, the humanoid Crades' goal is to make the strongest of the human race to fight. Then, the Crades would apparently use that chance to control the human race." She smirked bitterly. "Since he won the war, the countries and kingdoms outside the empire have begun believing his story. Even if we present the pieces of evidence that we have, I don't think we would get support at this rate. Moreover, we don't have the capacity to start another war. Our people and resources have both been exhausted after fighting the empire for the past few years."
That was the sad truth.
They were utterly defeated.
Auro Moonchester knew that, too. Thus, he was shamelessly changing the story despite the pieces of evidence that the Fire Mage had. As she said earlier, the victor had the privilege to rewrite history in his favor.
"And I'm tired," she said softly. "Lord Kalel, let's run away and hide. Can't we be selfish this time and choose each other over our duties?" She smiled sadly at her husband, then she placed her hands on her stomach. "I want to build a family with you. Not because we need to conceive the Moon Serpent, or a second child to become my heart's vessel. I just want to have and raise a child with you."
"I want that as well, Soleil."
She smiled, then she opened her arms. "Come here, Lord Kalel."
"You can just call me by my name," her husband said, then he stood up and sat beside her. "I've been telling you to drop the honorifics from the start, haven't I?"
"My strict upbringing doesn't allow me to call my husband by his name alone," she said defensively, then she wrapped her arms around his waist. "But now that we're going to abandon our titles, I guess it would be easier for me to call you casually."
He wrapped his arms around her body. "Should we practice?"
She raised her head to look up at him. "Kalel?"
He smiled and gently patted her head. "You're already good at it."
"I've always wanted to call you by my name but as I said, my strict upbringing gets in my way. All the young ladies in the continent were taught to always treat their husbands as their masters. We learned that as early as three years old."
He scowled at that. "Just what kind of rubbish things do they teach the ladies of the continent?"
"It's hard to be a woman in this world, Kalel."
"If we are blessed with a daughter, we will teach her to put herself above any man."
"Even you?"
"I believe that respect begets respect," he said firmly. "I intend to treat our future children with love and respect."
"You're going to be an excellent father."
"I have to work harder to be a good husband first."
"That's true."
"I'm sorry I failed to save your heart," he said, then he kissed the top of her head. "I haven't asked Luna yet because I was disoriented when we met a while ago. But did she mention how exactly was she able to steal your heart from Auro and Elis Ripperton?"
Ah, right.
Luna mentioned that she didn't tell Kalel the truth because the Moon Priestess was afraid that Kalel might go crazy.
"Don't worry about it, Kalel," Soleil said, then she closed her eyes and leaned her head against her husband's chest. "Brother Wixx and my Keepers are probably taking care of it right now."
"I don't understand," Kalel said, confused. "Please enlighten me, Soleil."
***
WINCHELL was enraged.
Luna did warn him what he'd see once he and his little sister's Keepers reached the cave that she told them about.
But to see a human doll lying on the ground that looked exactly like Soleil.
"How dare they do this?" Winchell said, his fists clenched tight. "That Blue Dragon has really lost his morals!"
Wong, Maddox, Braxton, Kelsi, and Jameson's anger could be felt in their unstable Mana.
He understood how the Keepers felt.
They didn't have to imagine what kind of horrible things Elis Ripperton was planning to do with a human doll that looked exactly like Soleil.
[That bastard wanted Soleil's heart to give life to that human doll, huh?]
"Burn that human doll to ashes," he said to the Keepers coldly. "That thing isn't Soleil so don't hesitate–"
"Don't you dare touch my Soleil!"
He turned around to see Elis Ripperton coming out of thin air.
The audacity of this bastard to look angrier than him!
"Destroy the human doll," he ordered the Keepers behind him while approaching Elis Ripperton. "I will bury this blasted Blue Dragon first."
"As you wish, Master," the Keepers said.
"I'll kill you if you touch my Soleil!" Elis Ripperton yelled angrily, then he raised his hands, his palms facing his direction. "Don't you dare get in my way, Winchell Rosenberg!"
He deflected the Blue Dragon's wind attack by creating a strong barrier made out of his flame.
"Didn't you hear me, bastard?" Winchell snarled while cracking his knuckles. "This mountain is going to be your grave soon!"
***
LUNA felt awkward while looking at the young boy who was currently looking up at her with shining eyes.
Winchell left that child to her as her "protector."
[Should I say "our" child?]
That damned red bird told her something shocking about the child before he left to destroy the human doll.
"Did you say your name is Roarke Sinclair?" Luna asked awkwardly, then she squatted down to meet the young boy's eye level. "Do you know who I am?"
Roarke nodded shyly. "L-Lord Winchell said you're my mother."
She felt her cheeks flush.
[Damn you, Winchell.]
But she wouldn't say that she hated the fact that Winchell "created" a child that was supposed to be theirs.
[It's the only way we could have a child in this lifetime anyway.]
She just felt sorry to the kid for one thing.
"I'm sorry," she said, then she gently touched the child's face. "I won't be able to stay and raise you with Lord Winchell, my child."
Roarke looked confused by what she said. "Why can't I stay with you, Mother?"
Her heart broke at the child's innocent question.
She smiled sadly at her "son," then she turned to the huge shrine in front of them.
That shrine was built in the heart of the dead or inactive volcano that the Fire Mage Clan had been protecting since time immemorial. Using her own life force and Mana, she was able to create a livable space for Soleil and Kalel.
If she was going to die, she'd die serving her masters until the cruel end.
"I have people that I need to protect," Luna said, then she turned to Roarke and smiled at him. Although Roarke wasn't a real person and he wasn't her real son with Winchell, the child was the proof of their silent love for each other. Thus, the thought of leaving their child alone in this world broke her heart. But she was still the Moon Priestess and she had duties to fulfill. "I need to do this because I want a world where you'd be safe, Roarke."
SOLEIL thought she'd be mad once she saw Kalel again.
Although she knew that her husband had been taken over by Kyro, it still frustrated her that he was powerless against his father. She was aware that it was out of Kalel's control and yet, she still couldn't help but feel upset.
"I'm sorry, Soleil," Kalel said while kneeling in front of her with her head hanging low. "I know an apology wouldn't be enough. But that's all I could say to you at the moment."
"That's all you could say to me at the moment?" Soleil asked, offended. "Really, Lord Kalel?"
There was an awkward silence before he spoke again.
"No," he said, then he finally raised his head to meet her gaze. "I have something else to say to you, Soleil."
"What is it?"
"I love you."
To say that she was shocked to hear that would be an understatement.
But most of all, she didn't expect that those words would easily melt her anger away. Hearing how genuine Kalel sounded when he said he loved her made her stupidly happy.
Of course, she was aware that she was being a fool.
But ever since she was a child, she had been used to following her heart. She couldn't break her bad habit. And to be honest, she didn't want to especially when it comes to her husband.
She let out a deep sigh. "I should step down from my position as the Supreme Fire Mage."
Her husband looked shocked by her announcement. "But why?"
"You ripped my heart out in front of everyone, Kalel," she said firmly. "It was a part of our plan. Yes, it didn't fall through because you were possessed by Lord Kyro. But fortunately, my brother was there to revive me."
Her plan with Kalel was supposed to be perfect.
She thought her husband could fight his father. But maybe there was a reason why the ancient gods were invincible up to this day.
"And my clan doesn't know that I'm aware you were going to rip my heart out," she continued. "Although I know that the majority of my clan is fond of me, I'm also aware that most of them are starting to lose their faith in me. Do you know why?"
He nodded slowly, his face crestfallen. "It's because no matter how much I hurt you, you still forgive and accept me in the end."
"Of course, you know," she said. "That's why you keep abusing my love."
"Soleil, it's not like that."
"Let's not talk about this anymore," she said while shaking her head. "I will leave my clan and hand over my position to Solaris."
The authority in their clan was divided into two– hers and Solaris'.
Her brother, Winchell, was the symbol of power. But her brother had heavenly duties and thus, he couldn't stay on earth for a long time. For that reason, the real authority in their clan belonged to her and Solaris.
But everyone knew that she had more power than her nephew.
[That's about to change now.]
"I'm not quitting just for you," she told her husband who already looked guilty by her decision. "We were the ones who led the war that we recently lost. Thus, we have to take responsibility and leave."
The war ended but the empire ruled by Auro Moonchester couldn't invade them totally.
After all, Solaris still had all the pieces of evidence that they had regarding the emperor's cruel human experiment. By that, she meant Auro Moonchester kidnapping all the finest ladies all over the continent to force them to breed with humanoid Crades.
She did reveal his secret to incite the war before.
But the only people who witnessed the documentary that she prepared were the citizens of the empire. Even if the news spread outside the empire, it would be hard to prove their allegations despite the solid evidence that they had.
After all, Auro Moonchester won the war.
[And the victor in war has the power to change the story.]
Auro Moonchester had never publicly admitted his wrongdoings. He was that shameless. But now that he won the war, his words alone would be powerful enough to erase all the doubts that his people had in him recently.
"Auro Moonchester has already begun rewriting history in his favor," she reminded her husband. "He's trying hard to make it look like the war between us was nothing more than a huge misunderstanding. He's currently blaming it on the Crades and claiming that the humanoid Crades had manipulated both of our sides to kill each other. According to your brother's story, the humanoid Crades' goal is to make the strongest of the human race to fight. Then, the Crades would apparently use that chance to control the human race." She smirked bitterly. "Since he won the war, the countries and kingdoms outside the empire have begun believing his story. Even if we present the pieces of evidence that we have, I don't think we would get support at this rate. Moreover, we don't have the capacity to start another war. Our people and resources have both been exhausted after fighting the empire for the past few years."
That was the sad truth.
They were utterly defeated.
Auro Moonchester knew that, too. Thus, he was shamelessly changing the story despite the pieces of evidence that the Fire Mage had. As she said earlier, the victor had the privilege to rewrite history in his favor.
"And I'm tired," she said softly. "Lord Kalel, let's run away and hide. Can't we be selfish this time and choose each other over our duties?" She smiled sadly at her husband, then she placed her hands on her stomach. "I want to build a family with you. Not because we need to conceive the Moon Serpent, or a second child to become my heart's vessel. I just want to have and raise a child with you."
"I want that as well, Soleil."
She smiled, then she opened her arms. "Come here, Lord Kalel."
"You can just call me by my name," her husband said, then he stood up and sat beside her. "I've been telling you to drop the honorifics from the start, haven't I?"
"My strict upbringing doesn't allow me to call my husband by his name alone," she said defensively, then she wrapped her arms around his waist. "But now that we're going to abandon our titles, I guess it would be easier for me to call you casually."
He wrapped his arms around her body. "Should we practice?"
She raised her head to look up at him. "Kalel?"
He smiled and gently patted her head. "You're already good at it."
"I've always wanted to call you by my name but as I said, my strict upbringing gets in my way. All the young ladies in the continent were taught to always treat their husbands as their masters. We learned that as early as three years old."
He scowled at that. "Just what kind of rubbish things do they teach the ladies of the continent?"
"It's hard to be a woman in this world, Kalel."
"If we are blessed with a daughter, we will teach her to put herself above any man."
"Even you?"
"I believe that respect begets respect," he said firmly. "I intend to treat our future children with love and respect."
"You're going to be an excellent father."
"I have to work harder to be a good husband first."
"That's true."
"I'm sorry I failed to save your heart," he said, then he kissed the top of her head. "I haven't asked Luna yet because I was disoriented when we met a while ago. But did she mention how exactly was she able to steal your heart from Auro and Elis Ripperton?"
Ah, right.
Luna mentioned that she didn't tell Kalel the truth because the Moon Priestess was afraid that Kalel might go crazy.
"Don't worry about it, Kalel," Soleil said, then she closed her eyes and leaned her head against her husband's chest. "Brother Wixx and my Keepers are probably taking care of it right now."
"I don't understand," Kalel said, confused. "Please enlighten me, Soleil."
***
WINCHELL was enraged.
Luna did warn him what he'd see once he and his little sister's Keepers reached the cave that she told them about.
But to see a human doll lying on the ground that looked exactly like Soleil.
"How dare they do this?" Winchell said, his fists clenched tight. "That Blue Dragon has really lost his morals!"
Wong, Maddox, Braxton, Kelsi, and Jameson's anger could be felt in their unstable Mana.
He understood how the Keepers felt.
They didn't have to imagine what kind of horrible things Elis Ripperton was planning to do with a human doll that looked exactly like Soleil.
[That bastard wanted Soleil's heart to give life to that human doll, huh?]
"Burn that human doll to ashes," he said to the Keepers coldly. "That thing isn't Soleil so don't hesitate–"
"Don't you dare touch my Soleil!"
He turned around to see Elis Ripperton coming out of thin air.
The audacity of this bastard to look angrier than him!
"Destroy the human doll," he ordered the Keepers behind him while approaching Elis Ripperton. "I will bury this blasted Blue Dragon first."
"As you wish, Master," the Keepers said.
"I'll kill you if you touch my Soleil!" Elis Ripperton yelled angrily, then he raised his hands, his palms facing his direction. "Don't you dare get in my way, Winchell Rosenberg!"
He deflected the Blue Dragon's wind attack by creating a strong barrier made out of his flame.
"Didn't you hear me, bastard?" Winchell snarled while cracking his knuckles. "This mountain is going to be your grave soon!"
***
LUNA felt awkward while looking at the young boy who was currently looking up at her with shining eyes.
Winchell left that child to her as her "protector."
[Should I say "our" child?]
That damned red bird told her something shocking about the child before he left to destroy the human doll.
"Did you say your name is Roarke Sinclair?" Luna asked awkwardly, then she squatted down to meet the young boy's eye level. "Do you know who I am?"
Roarke nodded shyly. "L-Lord Winchell said you're my mother."
She felt her cheeks flush.
[Damn you, Winchell.]
But she wouldn't say that she hated the fact that Winchell "created" a child that was supposed to be theirs.
[It's the only way we could have a child in this lifetime anyway.]
She just felt sorry to the kid for one thing.
"I'm sorry," she said, then she gently touched the child's face. "I won't be able to stay and raise you with Lord Winchell, my child."
Roarke looked confused by what she said. "Why can't I stay with you, Mother?"
Her heart broke at the child's innocent question.
She smiled sadly at her "son," then she turned to the huge shrine in front of them.
That shrine was built in the heart of the dead or inactive volcano that the Fire Mage Clan had been protecting since time immemorial. Using her own life force and Mana, she was able to create a livable space for Soleil and Kalel.
If she was going to die, she'd die serving her masters until the cruel end.
"I have people that I need to protect," Luna said, then she turned to Roarke and smiled at him. Although Roarke wasn't a real person and he wasn't her real son with Winchell, the child was the proof of their silent love for each other. Thus, the thought of leaving their child alone in this world broke her heart. But she was still the Moon Priestess and she had duties to fulfill. "I need to do this because I want a world where you'd be safe, Roarke."
