The Duke's Unwanted Wife

“I felt something strange so I went to check it out. A god descended to the earth,” she replied casually like she was stating the weather. Amaika’s jaw hung. It wasn’t often that anyone got to see a god but she nonchalantly did and returned with a scratch on her face.    

“Did the god do that to your face?”    

“Hmm. I asked her to prove she was a god and she unleashed her aura on me.”    

“Master, you could’ve died!”    

“It would take a lot more than that to kill me. Don’t we have a lot of work to do? We still have an inspection scheduled for…”    

The space in front of them distorted briefly and Madaline walked out of it. She walked right up to Natalia and touched her face.    

“I will rip off those limbs that did this to you.”    

“I’m yet to understand the kind of relationship you have with Uriel and why you hold so much anger towards her and not the dragons that have been actively hunting your kind for centuries.”    

“I hold a grudge against anyone actively involved in Nataroth’s death.”    

“Nataroth is…dead?” Amaika asked, a look of total shock on their face.    

“A werephoenix. How rare. They are one of Nataroth’s direct descendants.”    

“I wondered why they could not die. I’m not surprised.”    

“Master, who is this?”    

“This is Madaline, the fairy mother.”    

“Didn’t the Fairy Mother ascend?”    

“Yes, I am a god. You really don’t tell the people close to you anything.”    

“I’m cautious. It’s about time you two met each other. Madaline, this is Amaika."    

"I'm not surprised at this point. It must be a quirk to attract non-human races. Do you need me to excuse you?"    

"No, not at all. Madaline, do you know why Uriel is on the earth and why she appeared in such a flashy manner?"    

"You're the only one who knows she descended since you're the only transcendental. Her descent was a bit flashy. I don't know why she's here but you have to be careful. Uriel maintains a sort of self righteousness that is common in other gods but is very strict in her case. She maintains her own rules in her jurisdiction and she wouldn't hesitate to send souls she doesn't like to Heradis."    

"Question. Is Heradis truly on fire like every single day?"    

"Yes, it is. I don't recommend it."    

"How did you even know how to summon the fairy mother in the first place?" Amaika suddenly asked. They stopped talking and Madaline turned to Natalia with a curious look. Natalia smiled and closed the document she was signing.    

"I was investigating the Saintess's background and wondering how they were connected to the fairies that are practically hard to find. The Grayson family has a long, complicated history, being one of the remaining families to escape the fall of the kingdom that was once in the forest of Damnation. In that book, Madaline's name was written in ancient Fae name and I managed to translate it. I didn't know if it was going to work but it did."    

"When did you investigate the Saintess?"    

"After the war ended."    

"What war are you talking about, master? There hasn't been a war in more than ten years."    

"Ah, forgive me. I suppose I will have to start this tale from the beginning."    

Uriel sat by the shores of the island, letting the water wash past her. Behind her, Thiton appeared, staring at the horizon, hoping to see what she was looking at.    

"Why do you sit here looking so hopeless?"    

"I met a mortal."    

"And?"    

"They…frightened me. They had the same eyes as Nataroth, only I could see the darkness beneath them."    

"Uriel, you were the one who said original gods couldn't reincarnated because all their essence and magic goes back into the world. How could that mortal possibly have Nataroth's eyes?"    

"You're right, I may just be paranoid but this mortal took my aura head on and only got a scratch! A scratch, Thiton! What if they ruin our plans?"    

"They can't ruin our plans any more than Madaline already did. We came down here for a purpose. You cannot be forgetting that. Now, rise, Uriel. Let us proceed to where we will be meeting them."    

He extended a gloved hand and she took it. They both disappeared from where they stood, appearing at the entrance of a dark cave. The sound of a lake could be heard but couldn't be seen. Sitting on one of the stone hedges around the cave was a face most familiar to most as the Crown Prince of the Empire and standing beside him was the Crown Prince of Berinda. They both went on their knees before them both.    

"Rise, faithful servants."    

They raised their head and stood aside obediently. Uriel looked around, seemingly searching for someone. She finally turned to them.    

"Where is she?"    

"I do not know, your esteemed holiness," Arken replied.    

"I'm right here. Your senses have become dull, your esteemed holiness," a feminine voice said from the skies. They watched, unimpressed, as Adelie descended. Unlike the men, she didn't bow to them.    

"I don't know how you can meet a mortal more insolent than this one," Thiton commented. Adelie just grinned and waited by the side. Thiton raised a hand and placed it on the stone covering the entrance of the cave. It flowed green and parted to reveal a lit up cave. They all walked into it, the mortals lingering behind the gods. They walked until finally, they arrived at an altar. It wasn't that tall or uniquely built. It was just surrounded by dozens of green birds all hovering around the altar and the surroundings.    

"There is still one missing. How have you not still found one bird, Reagan?"    

"I apologize, your esteemed holiness. This one has been particularly elusive despite all our efforts to find it."    

"We cannot kill the divine birds until all of them are together. We have to completely cut the circle of reincarnation unless all our plans would've been for naught. I have given enough chances. Perhaps it is time to destroy the Empire."    

Reagan's eyes widened in fear. He immediately fell on his knees.    

"Please, your esteemed holiness! The organisation will double their efforts to find it! We will do everything in our power to find the divine bird! Please, spare my home!"    

"You are not particularly good at your job and you love to run your mouth. Even this insolent mortal woman is better than you. She fulfils her end of the deal regularly. Maybe she will be the one to ascend first," Uriel said. Reagan kept his head lowered but he stewed in anger.    

"While you're looking for the divine bird, make sure to search for that woman as well. Having the heart of a transcendental will make this much easier," Thiton added. The three of them had no complaints. The gods disappeared from their midst just the same way they had appeared.    

"You…have lived this life once, master?"    

"Yes. Although it didn't end up like this. I am more satisfied with this ending. But if I die one more time, everything will be wiped away."    

"You'll go back to the beginning?"    

"I don't know. I went back to the day before my wedding the last time. I could've run away then but there was you and Sebastian. I couldn't leave you, Sebastian, my mother and my workers behind. If I die, I will work again for my freedom."    

"But that's…"    

"I know. I'm satisfied with this life and until I can find a way to end my endless circle of reincarnation, then I will continue to fight for my freedom. Besides, you never die. How do you handle it?"    

"It's an integral part of our nature so we accept it as our truth. We can lock away bad memories and we can stay in hibernation for years. We used to be able to travel from the heavenly court to earth but when we decided to settle in the Empire years ago, we seemed to have forgotten the way."    

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen any other werephoenixes. They can never die so they couldn't be wiped out in that war. They always move in packs but you were alone when I found you. What happened?"    

"I can't…remember either."    

They fell into an awkward silence. Madaline pressed her thumb over the scratch on Natalia's face and it went away like it was never there.    

"Uriel was up to something. I have to find out. When I'm out there, I'll be looking for information on the other werephoenixes as well. My guess is that something happened to them and it is probably related to the Empire. I'll send back anything I find. Oh, and I brought a gift."    

Madaline dug into the pockets of her gown and brought out a tiny sleeping blue fairy. She yawned, sitting up on Madaline's hand. They both thought it was cute, smiling at it. The fairy flew up and disappeared into Natalia's mass of hair.    

"That's Cheese. She may not look like much but she is one of my most powerful fairies. She has the magical capabilities of a semi-transcedental. She sleeps most of the time but she's very useful if you need her."    

"Thank you, Madaline."    

"Of course. I won't be far away," Madaline waved and disappeared.