Queen Astraea Von Chauvet
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❝ We all make choices, be it good or bad, we must live with the outcome we have chosen. ❞
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Pronunciation: Yemima (Yem • ma)
"Astraea!"
"Astraea!" Someone called out in distress. Moving quickly towards my office.
Before I could rise from my seat Yemima came rushing in. I could sense she was panicked, frightened.
"Astraea!" She yells one last time running up to my desk to catch her breath.
I tried to calm her down and asked what was wrong.
Without hesitation, she responded, "Please, I beg you Astraea," she began.
Yemima rushes to the side of my chair and kneels with her head bowed. I quickly turn my chair and attempt to lift her up from the floor, only for her to shake her head and return to her position.
"Please do not harm them, Your Majesty, Goddess Astraea, have mercy on them. I beg of you. If you must punish someone, then let it be me. I will take whichever punishment you see fit without protest. So please, have mercy on my children." I sighed and rose out of my chair.
I went down on one knee and placed my hand under her chin. Softly bring her eyes to look up at me. She had tears running down her cheeks and her eyes were getting puffy.
It took little to know what had Yemima so on edge. Or why she's pleading for me to spare their lives.
It seems she heard about my guest coming today. And not just that, but why they're coming. I'm not all that surprised she found out. I had just hoped that I could have kept this conflict from reaching people outside those involved, just a while longer. But seems like that is no longer possible.
"Okay," I say with a smile, one that didn't entirely reach my eyes. It was a smile that held pity for my dear friend.
It pained me to see my friend's usual joyful smile replaced by a frightened and panicked look while kneeling and begging.
Tears did not suit her lovely, sweet, and beautiful face.
"What?" She asked surprised.
"I will not punish anyone. Most definitely not you Yemima. You did absolutely nothing wrong." Tears of relief began to run down her cheeks.
I could see the conflict in her eyes. She was relieved that her children would be fine. But she was also conflicted about the fact that I would not give her punishment in exchange for accepting the request she made.
"That isn't true, it's my fault, they are my children. I should have taught them better. I do not deserve your mercy Astraea. It's my fault they're like this. And you must punish me for it." I softly chuckled half-heartedly.
"You are my friend before you are my subject. Just like the others. And you can not control them. The only thing you as their creator can do is advise them and help them follow the right path, whether they choose to follow that path is not up to us, but them. So do not blame yourself." I said wiping her tears away.
"Now go to your chambers and take a warm bath to calm down, okay?" I suggest. She nods her head.
"Thank you Astraea, I will forever be indebted to you." I smiled and stood up. I look down offering my hand. She takes it without hesitation.
When she stands up she looks at me. The panic and fear she had in her eyes were now gone. She throws herself at me, hugging me. Laughing I hug her back.
"Come now Yemima. Go take a warm bath, we will talk again later when you've calmed down." She nods and says okay. As she leaves my office my smile falls.
I take a seat back in my chair.
If only there was a different way to resolve this conflict. One that didn't involve pain. But as much as I think about it, there isn't one. No matter what my choice is, war will still follow. The only thing I can do is buy some time to minimize the bloodshed.
~~~
Knock. Knock.
"Who is it?" I asked looking up from my work.
"It is I Queen Astraea" A man answered disrespectfully. And I knew very well who this disrespectful man was.
"You may enter" The king who rules over the angel kingdom, opens the doors to my study and makes his way in.
"Welcome," I greet standing up from my seat and taking a small head bow. He bowed as well.
"Thank you."
"Please have a seat." I gesture to the sitting area on the side of the study.
He nods and takes a seat.
"Is it safe to assume that no one saw you on your way here?" I voice my concern.
After reassuring Yemima when she had come to see me again, I had asked for the third floor of the west wing to be cleared, as I wanted some peace and quiet while I finished up my work for the day. All for the purpose of not letting anyone catch wind of the meeting between the Angel King and myself, especially Yemima.
I had even gone through the trouble and given him access to a secret passage only I and very few knew of. I did not want my effort to go to waste.
"Yes," He nods reassuring me.
"So onto the reason as to why I am here."
I sigh and take a deep breath before making my way to the seven-foot-tall window behind my desk, directly in front of him.
Leaning against it facing him, I spoke.
"I do not wish to go to war with the Angel Kingdom, Your Majesty."
"Then you know what that means." The king says looking excited.
"But I also cannot give you my divinity," I add.
His excited expression was completely gone, he rose from the seat and slammed his hand on the small coffee table in front of him.
"If you do not hand it to me, then I will have no choice but to go to war for it!" He yelled.
I stayed unaffected by his sudden but very much expected outburst.
"I wouldn't give you my divine abilities even if I could." He snarled at me.
"And why's that?" He asked furious at my remark.
"Because your majesty, if there is an extremely unbalanced amount of divinity in your heart, you will die. Only gods have the ability to have and use that much divinity, and that's for a reason." I explained.
"Bullshit! How would you know that?!"
I rose from my leaning position and walked to the small library beside us.
No matter what I am saying he just does not listen to reason. And considering his personality I knew where this was headed. Standing in front of the window would draw attention from anyone outside. Unwanted and unneeded attention.
"Your majesty, is knowing you will die from the unnatural amount of divinity not enough reason to stop here? Is your greed so much more important than your life? Please stop this nonsense." I pled turning to face him.
"You have more than enough power as it is, you don't need more." I further argue. He glares at me and completely ignores my plea.
His utter ignorance baffled me. Just what could have led him to become so blind to his desire?
"Don't tell me what I do or do not need. Now I am not going to ask again. Give me your divinity." He demanded one last time. But I didn't back down and shook my head no.
"You'll have to kill me," I said crossing my arms over my chest.
An evil smirk played on his lips. "If that's what you wish your majesty." He unsheathed the sword he had strapped around his waist and aimed it at me.
"You don't think I'll do it?" He asked with a smug face.
"I know you will, I just hope you know that killing me won't grant you what you wish."
He grinds his teeth in anger. "Shut up!" He yelled.
"I only speaking the truth."
"We'll see about that!" He roared, then pierced my stomach with his sword without a second thought.
I gasped as I felt my body get engulfed in pain. He looked up at me as he twisted the blade and smirked. I grabbed onto his suit as I felt my leg begin to weaken. With a disgusted face, he ripped my hand off him and pulled the blade out. Losing all support my legs gave out and my body collapsed to the ground.
The thought of healing myself crossed my mind, but then I thought about what that would lead to. The only reason I entertained the thought of death was to avoid war. I have died countless times over the centuries but it never helped with the pain.
I don't know how much time had passed when his expression finally changed. He looked frightened yet angry.
"Why isn't it working?!" He bent down pulled me by my collar and shouted.
"Why isn't it working?!" He asked again.
"Like I said," I cough. "Killing me won't grant you what," I cough again. "What you wish for." He threw me back onto the floor and left the room in an angry fit.
Yet some more time passed as I felt myself reaching my limit when Yemima came rushing into my study.
I saw panic, fear, and guilt flash in her eyes. I didn't want her to see me like this. She was the last person I wished had found me.
Her mouth moved but I heard none of it.
"It's okay Yemima," I mumbled, barely having the strength to speak. Tears began to run down her cheek again. She yelled and looked behind her. I assumed to call for help.
"It's going to be alright Yem," I smile weakly. She shook her head and cried to me. But still, I couldn't hear what she was trying to say.
Soon enough the other Gods came running into the study. They all looked at me frightened. Yemima yelled at me. I could only guess, that they asked me what happened and why I wasn't healing myself. They knew they couldn't heal me, only I had the ability to heal gods, so only I could heal myself. From the look on their faces, they knew that I wasn't planning on doing it and did not like that fact.
They then seemed to be discussing something among themselves, I tried to keep my eyes open to try and figure out what they were saying but my body was not having it. I was already at my end, death was approaching quickly.
"Please," I whispered.
"Please don't worry," I cough.
"Don't worry about me, friends." The words barely escaped me.
"I will be fine," I said trying my best to smile. "I always am."
I saw as they cried. Some were being held and others just cried. I looked at Tatum and I saw him speak with tears in his eyes. I didn't hear what he said. But I didn't need to hear it, because I completely understood what he wanted to say.
"No revenge," I forced out with all my might. And those were my last words as I took my last breath.
Everything then went dark.
I lay in the dark empty abyss. Nothing seemed more suitable to do than cry. This wasn't the first time I died. And it wouldn't be the last. But every time I did die, this was one of the parts I hated the most. The moments before I was born once again. The moments in which I spent my time alone in the abyss.
Every time I came to this place, memories and emotions would be ripped from me. The more I died the more numb I became. It was my price of continually using divinity to selfishly be reborn.
Everything had a price.
There was no sense of time in this abyss. So for me, it just felt like a never-ending loop of darkness before a warm light showed me the way out.
It felt like forever until that light I knew oh too well, finally appeared. Closing my eyes I let my body follow the light. Closing my eyes I let the light guide me out of the never-ending abyss.
Soon enough I opened my eyes only to close them again because of the bright lights in the room. From the smell, I could easily tell I was in a medical center. In which kingdom? I didn't know.
"It's a healthy baby girl, Ms. Davis." An unfamiliar male spoke in Eltanian.
"Prepare yourself, I need you to push again, just a little while longer." He said encouraging her.
But why did she have to keep pushing? I was already born.
Unless... twins?
Twins! This body had a twin. But that can't be. How is this possible?
"There you go now. Just a little more. Yes! Almost there. Keep pushing!" And then there it was. It's cry, "wuahhh." And just like that, a long beep could be heard. She gave it her all.
Only I would know just how strong this woman's willpower was, to hold onto her life and give birth to both her daughters.
After we were taken away from our dead mother, the nurses took us to be checked. When he examined this body's sister, they took her away. Saying they needed to stabilize her.
I had expected that but, I hated it. I couldn't do anything to save her. I just had to hope that Tatum made it here in time to save her in my place.
Fortunately enough, Tatum came quickly. After attending to the other child he came to pay me a visit, and he had the child in his arms.
There was a small beautiful white bracelet around her wrist. I tried to reach out to him but I couldn't touch him. He gave me a sad smile. "Don't worry my queen, you'll be safe. Your sister will also be safe. I have to take you both now. I'll take you somewhere safe." He picks me up and places me in his arms as well.
Taking us out of the room and the hospital. We got into a vehicle and he drove off.
I took in all my surroundings and realized that we were not in Etherlacien but in the non-magic realm. This was the first time my new body was born in the non-magic realm.
I don't know how long we were in the vehicle when it came to a slow stop. Taking us out of the car he walks towards a small slightly broken-down home. A man opens the door very suddenly as we get close.
"This is the children you mentioned?" I watch as Tatum nods.
"Very well then, come in." Walking in the man closes the door behind us. Tatum puts us down and takes a seat on a sofa then looks up at the man. Who also takes a seat, across from us.
"I'll need you to protect these children with your life. This is our queen and her sister. If something were to happen to her before she is of age, we are all bound to be doomed. She is the only one who can put a stop to the chaos." The man nods understanding.
Tatum set the other child down and then held me up. Taking out a bracelet from his pocket, he puts it around my tiny wrist. Placing his hand over it a light emerges and surrounds the bracelet. The bracelet absorbed the light activating the spell on the bracelet. I knew what he was doing. He was sealing away my extra divinity. I understood it had to be done but, it meant that I would no longer have my memories. Or be able to use my divine abilities.
But it had to be done. Or people in all realms would know I was back once I tried to use my abilities. I close my eyes and let my divinity and memories be sealed away.
"These bracelets must never be taken off." That was the last thing I heard Tatum say as darkness overtook me.
↝ Author Note ↜
Hello, my beautiful people! I hope this prologue was to your liking and was enough to convince you guys to stay around for more.
Well, I hope to see you in the next update! Byeee!