Chapter 85: Chapter 85

“What if I curse your children and your descendants afterwards? Would you still continue to mock me like this?”

Khailis was taken aback by Goddess Eily’s answer, but her own response had never been clearer. “W-Well... yes!”

The goddess eye’s flashed with irritation. “You little -”

“Sister Eily, you know Queen Argillya’s half-conscious promise did not hold any weight in them. The courts had also settled this matter already. Why don’t we make this an opportunity to make up with the Paucas, hmm,” Templar said, attempting to humor the irritated Goddess of Childbirth.

Indeed, this predicament had always puzzled Templar. How could Eily even think, for a second, that she and Rahul were in a real relationship? What was Eily thinking when she extracted that promise to someone who was nearly dying while in labor?

The goddess of childbirth didn’t speak for a long time. Of course she knew that a mother’s promise wasn’t exactly binding. She had always held hope in her heart for its fulfilment though. She still hadn’t forgotten the prophecy that Head God Heedra had spoken to her about marrying a half-human half-Teotrolian someday soon.

Seeing how things had turned out like this, however, it must have meant that Prince Rahul wasn’t the one the head god had spoken of... Still, Prince Rahul was a breathtaking beauty. It was really a pity he had chosen to be linked to such a sordid looking woman!

“Alright, brother, I understand...” Eily finally said. “But I am in no condition to give you and your future children any blessings today... Just come back another time...”

The couple curtsied and was about to leave, when suddenly, Khailis turned her to face her again.

“Goddess Eily, I know it grieves you to see someone whom you thought was yours leave for another person, so we won’t be coming back. I wish you the best though. May you find someone whom you will truly love soon...”

Eily screamed in her mind. ‘You little fool! Just leave already!’

Eily wanted to positively throw things at her, but she held her peace for the sake of the Pauca babies, whose lives are really delicate. How can such a human be so brazen in front of someone as powerful as her? No wonder Rahul had taken a fancy towards her! This human was as formidable as Rahul’s mother!

As soon as the chambers door had shut behind them, Khailis shot Gavil an angry look. They walked in tensioned silence until they reached a small, sunken garden in the middle of the temple.

Templar cleared his throat. “Erm, the walk along these halls are too long; the babies must be tired... I’ll just go and fetch sister and brother-in-law... You can stay right here to relax.”

After seating Khalis down at one of the garden benches, Gavil kneeled down in front of her still silent wife.

“My wife, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?...”

She gave her a stern look. “What do you think, Gavil? Why didn’t you tell me you were about to be married to a goddess?”

He gave her a very pitiful look that had melted her insides internally. “Because I wasn’t going to be married to her! My mother spoke to her while in labor. She had talked to Goddess Eily year after year about it, and she had gotten the consent from the head gods to invalidate her promise and won... I didn’t think it’ll be a problem.”

“That’s the real problem, Gavil... You never see any of this as a problem... This marriage, from the very start, it’s already so problematic!”

Seeing Gavil’s hurt expression made Khailis want to take back what she had just said. He was about to say something to her, but they had heard footsteps approaching and saw that Templar was back with Langrion and Shia. From the way they looked, it didn’t seem like they had a good time at all too...

After the incidents that had taken place at the Head God and Goddess Eily’s chambers, all of them were possessed by a grave and quiet spirit. However, they all knew this wasn’t the time to be sad, and it was Templar who spoke of the actions they needed to do first.

“Rahul and Khailis, make sure you energize your eggs properly. I don’t think you can risk getting sick and coming back to Sister Eily for a blessing. Sister, we also have to prepare for your wedding soon. The longer we wait for the wedding, the higher the risk is for brother-in-law’s body. We must not tarry any longer,” Templar said.

Bearing this in mind, Shia and Langrion’s wedding was finally set after two days.

After the news that Goddess Freya’s return in her mortal form had spread in Teotroly, a small crowd started to gather in front of the temple. By the afternoon, the temple guards did not have a choice but to inform Shia that this has happened, and that she should probably grant them an audience.

“It’s alright, sister,” Templar assured her. “They are probably just your followers. They must be excited of the prospect that you have returned with your human fiancé.”

“But, I still haven’t recovered Freya’s memories... What if I fail their expectations?”

“They won’t have any expectations. They would understand your situation, I’m sure.”

Shia sighed and nodded. She finally mustered the courage to face them.

As soon as she showed her face in front of the temple, the crowd wept and cheered before bowing deeply.

“Oh, goddess, welcome back at last!”

“You have graced us again with your presence, thank the head god!”

“Goddess Freya, may eternal blessing abound to you!”

She looked at them, their eyes expectant and curious of what she would say. She raised her hand.

“I am sorry if I do not remember you at all. As you already know, I am still a mortal, and I haven’t recovered all my powers and memories yet. I do appreciate you all coming here. It makes me feel happy that you had come to cheer me before I wed...”

She looked at them and felt guilty. They were looking for a goddess, but instead, but all that had come to face them was the mortal who hadn’t accomplished what she had set out to do yet...

“I feel so deeply sorry to come back without fulfilling my punishment and my task... I don’t deserve any of your devotion, and I could only give you my humblest apology.”

She bowed down at them deeply. The crowd began to stir.

An old woman, perhaps the leader of the group approached Shia.

“Goddess of Light, we greet you! May your dazzling light shine upon us forever! Please do not bow down in shame to us. We know that it has not been an easy road for you. Our devotions do not stem from your faults, but rather from the help you had given us when you were still sitting at your throne here at Teotroly.”

She clapped her hand, and someone from her group presented Shia with a large, rectangular box.

“We bring this to you as a gift for your wedding. It is a dress made from the magic that humbly exist from all of us magical creatures here who believe in you. We have heard we cannot be present at your wedding due to the dangers the ritual present, but rest assured that we will exert our powers from afar so that we could send our love to you. Please do accept this humble fruit of our labor...”

One of the people from the group opened the box, and Shia saw a dazzling laced, white dress come out of it.

She looked back at these people who had devoted their life in worship of Freya, and her eyes grew heavy with tears.

“Thank you. I shall accept it with a grateful heart.”

She bowed down before them deeply before she left. She vowed to succeed in extracting her wish from Sirion no matter what. She couldn’t possibly let all these people down…

That night, Shia and Langrey had a long talk about the future. For Shia, not only was this an exciting new chapter in her life, but also a way for her to extract her revenge against Sirion. She cannot wait.

Langrion squeezed her hands as she thought of this. She looked up to him. He seemed troubled.

“What’s wrong, Langrey?... Are you feeling worse?”

She brushed the wisps of hair that had fallen down his cheeks. It had become gaunter than when she saw him in prison.

He clasped her hand against his cheek. “Can… Can we really not go through with this wedding?...”

Shia wanted to yell at him, but seeing his depressed expression made her think twice about snapping back at Langrion.

“Why? Are you getting cold feet?” She gulped down the lump in her throat. “Is it because you don’t want to be married to me?”

“Neither,” Langrion said weakly. “I… I can’t lose you…”

She looked back at her beloved. She could see how the protection magic had been eating away at his health ever so slowly and yet so fast at the same time.

“I can’t lose you too… I simply can’t watch you disappear like this, Langrey…”

She hugged him closer, patting his back steadily. “Don’t worry. I will come back safely. I won’t die…”

“Of course you can’t… I’ll die with you if you don’t…”

“All the more reason why I should live…” Shia replied as she tenderly kissed his cheeks.

Two days felt like simply a breath away for the two of them. Finally, the day of Shia and Langrey’s wedding had come.