I was holding the newborn prince. He was healthy,whole and at the moment,asleep. I was currently feeding him with a baby bottle until Haures wakes up. Thanos was whining and,at first,he didn't want to drink the milk. Normally when a Shadow is reborn it must be fed pure negative energy from their carrier's body.So,Thanos was waiting to be held by Haures so he could absorb energy. Unfortunately,Haures was in critical condition and we weren't sure he would survive.
Thankfully,Paimon had helped her calm his brother down but after Johanna arrived,a couple minutes after the extraction,they had to take Haures to the hospital immediately. The panic I saw in Johanna's eyes was something that,for a moment,gave birth to feelings of despair. But I didn't have the time to ask for her reassurance because she had to risk an immediate teleportation to the hospital. It was very dangerous for Haures in his current condition but given the time and place we couldn't carry him out of my royal chambers.
In the end,it was decided that I would stay behind to take care of Thanos. I was secretly hoping for Paimon to be in my place but I understood why that couldn't happen. He was far too concerned for Haures to remain calm and collected in front of a baby.
I looked at the young prince. He was gorgeous with his black hair and blue eyes. In truth,he was the most beautiful Shadow and maybe the most beautiful man in the multiverse.She remembered the time Thanos turned 16.000 years old and he wanted to go out of the palace for the first time but Haures wouldn't permit it.So when he was away on a business trip he snuck out of the palace and went for a stroll in the city.
The girls went wild.They didn't even care about their dignity. They would fall at his feet,faint and yell. And Thanos was enjoying every minute of it. He went around flirting with every woman he laid his eyes on. Then he stumbled upon a bar and drank his first drink. Drinks,to be more precise. The dancers were all over him but he never touched any of them. He returned home drunk,however.
The next day,when Haures returned from his mission he found the city in a state of chaos. The female Shadows were irritated,angry and depressed. When he asked about it no one would tell him because no woman would admit to losing her mind over the sight of a single man.
However,when he returned to the palace and found his baby brother in bed with a headache and kisses all over his face,all hell broke loose. At first,Haures started screaming at Paimon for being so irresponsible and not keeping a closer eye on their brother. Paimon was trying to defend himself saying that Thanos was a young man who should have more freedom and gain more experience with women. That didn't help,on the contrary,it aggravated Haures further. At the end Thanks was grounded,Paimon wasn't listening very well for a couple of days and the palace security was increased.
A faint smile reached my face while I was remembering the story. Thanos noticed my momentary happiness and started laughing as well.
-It seems that you and your brothers have more life inside of you than any Light Spirit I know,even from the Spirit of Life.,I told him tenderly
At that time,a knock was heard in my door and I held Thanos even closer,who probably had sensed the imminent danger and remained still,before telling the visitor to come in.
-Such a beautiful baby. I almost feel sorry I have to tear its soul into pieces.Now,hand him over.,the Dark Queen commanded.
I held Thanos closer to my chest. I had no right to give him away like merchandise,because he didn't belong to me. I didn't put my body and soul in danger to bring him back.How could I use someone else's struggle to avoid an unpleasant predicament? How could I forget the sheer power and determination in Haures's look?The ever-present light in his eyes,even when his body had collapsed from exhaustion and he was holding his energy in place purely by instinct? Never in my entire life have I seen such strength,physical and mental,and commitment to a purpose.There was no alternative plan. It was all or nothing. And now I was holding in my arms the victorious result and I was supposed to hand him over? But what could I do at a time like this?
The Dark Queen seemed to notice the doubt in my eyes but instead of feeling anxious or afraid,she started laughing.
-Eve,you are such a little girl. You always act the same way. You want to show pride and courage when things are going your way but you get cornered so easily and when you realise you don't have control anymore,you are so easy to be manipulated.But I guess I can understand a final act of foolishness so I will come and take him myself instead of demand you release him. All you have to do is just stay still and honour the deal we made.Although,it was more of a blackmail than a deal,really.
She started walking towards me and I just couldn't move. What should I do? She was right. I let myself get cornered and now I couldn't find a way to escape. However,when she was just one step away from me she stopped. My eyes were locked on hers since she entered the room but now I let them drift away and I was horrified to see that she had been stabbed. With my own knife.
As she collapsed on the floor in pain,Paimon appeared behind her,with his hands full of blood. He didn't say anything,he just grabbed me by the arm and we teleported away. When I opened my eyes again,we were in the hospital where Haures was currently hospitalised.
He didn't let go of my arm and asked coldly:-What happened in there,Eve?
At that time,I simply broke. I put my hands on my face and I started crying. He made no effort to comfort me,he simply waited for me to calm down so I could explain.
And once I did,I told him everything.
-Well,I managed to stabilize him and he is going to make a full recovery very soon.I have to congratulate you,Eve.You have done an excellent work on performing the extraction. I can tell that much from the state of his energy levels.Now all that remains is to check on Thanos and...What has happened?
Johanna came out,initially having a professional look on her face and a small smile,ready to announce the good news but when she lifted her eyes from her notes he was greeted with the sight of two depressed persons. Eve was shitting on a chair with her hands on her face and Paimon walking backwards and forwards looking at the ceiling.
Paimon opened his mouth to say something but he closed it again and headed for the nearest wall but he turned away. Johanna thought he was going to bang his head against a wall.Eve seemed to be emotionally burned and she couldn't handle an interrogation right now.
But when I sat beside her in an effort to comfort her,she simply stated:"Paimon stabbed the Dark Queen '' with a blant voice,like she was answering a bothersome and useless question.
-What?,Johanna asked, shocked and concerned for Eve. Maybe the Light Queen was half asleep or sick.
-With my knife.,she continued
Johanna looked at Paimon and her eyes were begging him to rebut Eve but he just looked the other way.
-What could possibly be a good enough reason for you to stab your ruler?,she asked angrily but then baby Thanos woke up and started reaching towards her laughing.Johanna took him from Eve's arms and looked him in the eyes
-She tried to take him,didn't she?,she asked
-How did you know? Were you informed of this little arrangement between them?,Paimon demanded and started moving aggressively towards her but she didn't flinch so not to disturb the baby
-I had a hypothetical conversation with Eve some months ago when Haures was in the hospital and I took a general idea of what was going on but I chose not to interfere. You know I choose not to meddle in politics.
-But you are secretive. You didn't tell me anything. I can understand your reluctance to reveal your suspicions to Haures but you should have informed me.
-And what would you have done? Your involvement would only complicate things and would bring Eve in an impossible position because it would appear as if you were acting on her behalf. Only Haures has the position and skills to deal with these kinds of situations but I didn't want to stress him any further. Besides, Eve was so confident she had it under control and frankly I don't understand at what point that changed.
-She threatened me. With Angelica's file. It was either Thanos or Angelica. And after what happened Im not sure how safe she is.The Dark Queen always has a back-up plan. Her injury doesn't necessarily mean her disposal or ensure Angelica's safety.,she said with the same emotionless voice. It wasn't the voice of a Queen. It was the voice of a defeated soldier.
What surprised Johanna the most however was the change in Paimon's attitude. All the anger in his face had disappeared and was replaced with a look of guilt. This swiftness in his behaviour didn't go unnoticed by the Light Queen whose eyes yearned for answers.
-That part is partially my fault. In one of my "travels" to disorientate the Dark Queen I might have accidentally.....dropped the file.
The attack he was mentally preparing himself for,didn't take long to come. Eve launched herself from the chair onto him. Johanna had never seen such a reawakening before.The Light Queen was like a dead person a moment ago but now she had risen from the grave to take revenge.
-Are you insane? You dropped it? The file of the potential next Duchess? Nevermind that,you couldnt wait a year to deal with this case? Not even a year?You had to organise the assault on Angelica while we were in the middle of a crisis?I can't believe you.,Eve started screaming and crying while on top of him.
Johanna wanted to go and separate them when she suddenly realised something. She was sensing only one type of energy from Thanos. But there should be two energy signatures considering the fact that Thanos's soul was still tangled with the soul of the Dark Queen's son. She put two of her fingers on his forehead and using her powers,she checked the baby's energy.
Her cry of surprise was enough to make both Paimon and Eve stop screaming at one another and look at her confused.
-Eve,your inexperience proved useful in the end. In the midst of this chaos you completely forgot about the joined souls. As a result,you successfully extracted Thanos's energy but at the expense of the other. The Dark Queen's son is dead. Or to be more precise,disintegrated.I know,I shouldn't feel happy about it,but that solves at least one of our problems.Johanna said excitedly
However, her companions didn't seem to share that joy. Especially,Eve who had released Paimon but she looked like she was about to faint
-No,no. It actually makes things worse. To tell you the truth,I was planning to stab her myself. That's why I had prepared the knife. But,when I left the room after the extraction,I forgot it and Paimon found it. Nevertheless,it was my knife that pierced her and no one was going to believe her own Prince attacked her and in the end the blame would fall solely on me no matter what. So,I left my letter of resignation on my desk. Technically,speaking I am not Queen anymore. And if the Dark Queen were to survive,which I'm sure she will,taking into consideration her highly efficient self-healing skills she will have the right to hunt me down mercilessly for her injuries. And now she will have an extra reason that justifies her hate.
-You abdicated? Are you insane? Who is going to rule the Light Spirits now? I'm sure June will be overjoyed by this.,Johanna said panicked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice
-I don't know and I'm honestly afraid about who June will suggest as my replacement but there was no other way. If I had not resigned after that incident,the result would be a civil war.
-I agree with her. The Dark Queen won't bother us for a while,not while she heals, and with Haures currently indisposed, I have to return to the capital and lead the Shadows. That is partially good news because I can keep you informed,Eve,as you remain hidden.,Paimon said
-I don't plan on running. Instead,I will go to the one place where I'm sure she will find me. I will stay with Angelica. That way,I can at least protect her and prevent the Dark Queen from attacking random worlds while she searches for the child's murdererEve announced
Paimon opened his mouth to protest but the look in her eyes left no room for discussion.She was afraid but still wanted to protect her people.
She was a Queen after all