Love Through The Dark

The Rectification

Before rescuing The Prince from his tower Jundiin went home. It was only a short walk from The Wizards home and it had been so long. As she stepped back into her home it's emptiness remained. This time even more empty than before. Amante was trapped, Ziare never existed. Jundiin was alone. Of course she could always go back to get her mother but right now despite being lonely she didn't want to see Bastet. This part of her adventure was hers. She may be a goddess but deep within some part of her soul she was still human and this human was going to do the most human thing she could, gods never rectified their mistakes not truly. They just shifted the blame and got revenge on others for their actions. Jundiin wanted to rectify her mistakes and after taking a moment of solace in her old home she knew "it's time" she told herself ready to go meet The Prince.

The castle loomed over Jundiin ominous and silent as if it had awaited her return. A flurry of butterflies danced ballet in the goddesses stomach as she thought upon which words to formulate to Jundiin and his mother. She had kept The Prince away from the outside for far too long. There was never going to be a good time this Jundiin understood so she walked into the castle.

Jundiin's mother approached Jundiin with the elegance of a lioness. She was angry and she was right to be. Her son had been trapped in his tower for so long deprived if air and from seeing his friends. "Where have you been?" Suadela spat. "I am afraid I had business in another land." Jundiin knew it was a lie but what else was she to say. Sorry I've been preoccupied slaughtering twelve beasts, dying and becoming a goddess. This woman would never believe that. She could show her the powers she now had but what was the point? She would still hate her for what she had done. Jundiin would still hate herself. "I am sorry your highness and I realise your son has been locked away for too long." Suadela narrowed her eyes and Jundiin saw something within them that terrified her. Just by looking into The Princess of Fayre's eyes she knew why the woman was so angry. It was not because her son had been locked away not fully for that reason anyway. It was because she knew. She knew who her son was, she knew he was the chosen one. She had seen the creatures for herself that was obvious the creatures seemed to burn their presence deep into a soul. Jundiin wanted to burn Suadela into ash to save The Prince from his destiny but deep down she knew she couldn't interfere anymore in the boys life she had to free him and allow him to continue his own story.

Walking up the tower steps felt strange. It had been a long time since Jundiin had climbed any steps and these ones appeared to go on forever. As she approached the door to Juventas's room she took a long breath. Knock. Jundiin knocked on the door inviting herself in. Juventas sat up on his bed. You could see the sadness etched onto his face. The darkness deep down within him but upon seeing Jundiin The Prince appeared to glow with hope. "Is it time?" The Prince asked hopefully to which Jundiin nodded with a smile on her face "yes your highness you have been away from the outside for far too long and you have done well to look after your health this entire time. Your highness you are free to go." Juventas cried he burst into tears and through sobs thanked Jundiin. The Prince ran up to the goddess and hugged her he didn't think Jundiin as bad or evil for locking him away. He was happy and relieved she had given him the chance to be better.

Jundiin stepped out of the castle into the bitting cold. "Why is it so cold?" she thought to herself looking back at Juventas waving her farewell from the door of the castle. Jundiin closed her eyes and felt the air. It was not a natural cold that she could tell. She judged it was made by some force. Perhaps the creatures? No not them. The wizards? Impossible they hardly had their power back. Out of the cold a figure approached shrouded in snow. She was old extremely old and she wasn't truly there she was almost a ghostly apparition. "Who are you?" Jundiin asked the figure. The old woman acknowledged the goddesses presence and walked slowly towards her. "Amante sends her love Jundiin." Jundiin froze in place not because of the cold but because finally she was talking to someone who knew where her lover was. "Where is she?" Jundiin begged. "She is doing well" the figure promised "in fact she is leading the clay people through the darkness. Almost like a Queen." Jundiin beamed with joy knowing Amante was safe but also felt deeply saddened knowing Amante was in the dark. "How do you know?" Jundiin turned her attention to the woman. "This realm is your domain now Jundiin but it was once mine and in part it still is. I was Queen of this realm my power traversed all corners of it plunging it into a realm of snow." Jundiin knew who this woman was now it was The Snow Queen, the woman who ended the stories of old and began a new age. "You will find her Jundiin I promise you this but she is not the same as she once was" Jundiin thought about this for a moment "no one ever is when they go through something" The Snow Queen nodded in understanding and walked back into the cold leaving Jundiin alone.

"My only hope" Jundiin told herself "is that Amante still felt love through the dark and that she hasn't changed beyond recognition. It is the wizards fault if she had and for that they must die" and like that Jundiin became a true goddess. She no longer cared for what she had done she had paid her dues and now she placed the blame on the wizards and prepared to take her revenge.