https://i.ibb.co/PrhHH76/King2.png [https://i.ibb.co/PrhHH76/King2.png]

Sonia stared blankly into the dark cathedral, its quiet and spacious hall gave only little comfort to her troubled mind as the weight of expectation came baring down on her. The ominous and secluded atmosphere of the cursed property that housed the old and dilapidated stone structure was a significant departure from the lively city in Kalitos. She loved the Sunny City, but at present, the dark and quiet atmosphere of the old cathedral back in her home dimension, was welcome.

Sonia reached a bony hand to her face and felt her shriveled skin, shrunken and tight against her aching skull. Most of her hair had fallen out, lying scattered around her among the large throne in which she sat. The throne itself was too big, being the same size as the massive stone king beside her.

She breathed.

No matter where I go, I cause problems for others. Can I do anything right? First Sara, and now Lord Tess and Lucy. Heck, I might as well include all the people of the Sunny City. I devastated the city and left Lord Tess’s teahouse in shambles. Most of the chairs and tables were left broken and scattered on the floor. With just a single punch, I left a path of devastating destruction completely through the market district. I didn’t mean to do that. I had no idea that I was even capable of it. God, what a first impression, huh?

Sonia wept aloud. Her aged voice came out like a wailing moan, which echoed throughout the hall.

From the time that she had arrived at the cathedral, she and Gran together had pondered the mystery of Sonia’s connection to the throne. How was it possible for her to wake up Gran from her stone prison? How was it possible for her to enter the cursed realm where the king lived?

There were rumors starting that I was possibly an important deity, and in order to learn more about the role, I traveled to another dimension. And what did I learn? How do I even put it into words, let alone my thoughts? I AM the Silver Queen, or at least I’m supposed to be. I still can’t believe the woman that claimed me as her own was in fact, the Silver Queen of legend. When she claimed me, she did something to my soul. She changed me, and I truly became hers. But…

Sonia turned her head and looked up at the giant stone king beside her, and wept. Tears gathered in her sunken eyes, and fell down her withered cheeks, taut and gray.

“I’m not worthy to be worshiped or revered. All I do is hurt people. What good is all this power if I can’t use it right? So I woke up Gran, that was the only good thing I’ve done, and even that is pointless if she's still cursed. I haven’t actually helped anyone. If anything, I’ve hurt them. No, I don’t deserve to be worshiped. I don’t deserve to be loved. I am nothing. No, I’m worse than that. I’m a monster. How many people did I hurt as the black knight tore through the city? How many people died?”

Sonia laid down within the giant throne and curled herself into a frail, helpless ball, and cried herself to sleep.

The cathedral was quiet for a time, until a mighty voice broke the silence.

“Oh my dear girl, why do you say such things? The miracles that you’ve made are wonderful, indeed.”

The low, rumbling voice resounded throughout the hall, warm and comforting.

“It doesn’t matter how small. Even if you bring just a glimmer of hope, just a glimmer, is it not a wonderful thing? What a miracle! You’ve brought me so much hope, my heart sings with joy.”

Light spilled into the tall crystal glass windows as evening turned into morning. Light laid over the lap of the great king, whose clothes were fresh and soft. Color returned to his flesh, no longer solid blue marble, but alive, healthy and strong.

The giant man leaned over and peered into the throne next to him, where the sleeping, frail woman slept. Even his eyes seemed to smile as he admired her. With his massive hands, he scooped her up and held her in his arms.

Nestled in the crook of his arm, he cradled her, and for several seconds, he witnessed her true form as her soul shone through with divine light, healing her rotting flesh.

“Look at you.” He said. With a large finger, he stroked her cheek.

“You don’t even know it, but you are the most precious thing in all the cosmos.”

Sonia’s lips trembled as she sobbed in her sleep.

The tears came, but the gentle king wiped them away.

“My dear, it is not the strength of your might, that makes you great, but the strength of your heart.

Your heart is filled with so much love, that it cannot even be contained. It spills out into your aura. It was your aura alone that woke us from our curse. Even if it is just for a little while, you allow us relief from our misery.

He hummed a soothing melody as he held her close. He looked out into the great hall as the natural light of the sun shone brightly through the windows. His eyes fell onto the woman standing at his feet, who beamed lovingly at her son. The two of them didn’t say anything to each other for a while, until Gran grew and doubled in size until she was the same height as the king, and wrapped her arms around him.

“Look who finally decided to join us, you dolt” Gran said, playfully hitting him on his head with a knuckle before giving him a kiss on his forehead.

“Hey, don’t start that, woman.” He said with a happy twinkle in his blue eyes.

Sonia tossed in her sleep, grabbing hold of his blonde, braided beard, snuggling her face against it, and sighed a deep sigh of comfort.

“Oh, my stars, look at her! She’s so adorable, you wouldn’t even know that she could move mountains.” Gran said.

The king frowned.

“She’s conflicted, Mother. She had an apparent run-in with the black knights.”

“Already? Wait, if she fought the black knights, then she must have been near Maheirron. Oh, I got goosebumps! The wheel of destiny is so exciting!”

“Yes, the Sunny City. I almost forgot that it was the Silver Queen's favorite city in all of Kalitos.”

“There’s a church in the Sunny City that’s been run by the Calistors for centuries. Goodness, if she fought the black knights, she must already be stirring Breillia’s anger.”

“Indeed. However, she 's still getting used to her powers. The budding of a new goddess is exciting, indeed, but we need to be more mindful of the stress that’s put on her. After all, she’s not just a goddess, but the Silver Queen.” Said the king.

“Yes, Son, you are very right. The weight of the cosmos itself is riding on her shoulders. Let us give her rest. And, we should get to know her a bit more, and ask her about the things that she enjoys and what makes her happy. She deserves to have a day just for her.”

“I’m so happy to hear you say that. Let us allow her to forget her burdens at least for a day. Until then, let us let her rest.”

————————-//———————-

The princess awoke craving adventure, so she put on a pair of sturdy trousers and old worn leather boots. A jacket hung in a closet outside her room that belonged to no one that she knew. She took it also and threw it on.

“Very nice! Now, all I’m missing is a hat.”

Sara was very pleased when she found the hat she desired in a trunk inside the same closet.

“What luck! Whose stuff is this?”

She didn’t bother leaving out the front door. She knew her father was awake and the sounds of him and Gran fawning over Sonia made her sick with anger. She jumped out the window from the top floor, landed softly in the glass, and headed for the forest.

Sara was suffering from conflicted emotions, and wasn’t sure how she should feel. She knew that good things were happening, but she wanted nothing more than for her mother to make everything better again. Maybe she would come to her senses and apologize, lifting the curse and bringing them home. She loved her mother very much, and just wanted to live as a happy family.

Is that so hard?

The sky was a mixture of sunshine and dark clouds, raining on and off throughout the afternoon. She didn’t particularly mind the rain. The young goddess didn’t get sick because she wasn’t physical in the same way that a mortal was physical. She didn’t need an immune system to keep her healthy and alive.

“I’m so glad I wore the hat, else the rain would be in my eyes.”

She wouldn’t be able to go very far into the forest, but the amount of land the curse afforded, Sara felt, was quite generous.

Sara’s boots stomped through rocks, twigs, and crunchy blue moss as she made her trek through the lush environment. Sara admired the forest. She could tell that the foliage was a mixture between Celestian and earthian greenery. Green vines wound around the trees and crept along the rocks, married by another vine that wound around the other. One red and the other green. Sara didn’t know much about plants to be called an expert, but knew that there were harmless vines and also poisonous ones, and because she was unsure of the nature of the ones she was looking at, she decided to avoid them as much as she could.

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She wasn’t necessarily afraid of the earthian plants. It was the Celestian plants that gave her pause. There were lots of ways that people fought one another, and biological warfare was common across the cosmos. In Celestia, there were plants as well and animals that could hurt a god. Especially one as young as Sara.

When Sara found the clearing she was looking for, she took off her jacket and laid it out on a round patch of healthy grass and green moss and laid down, staring into the sky with her brilliant blue eyes. Watching the clouds roll by, she thought to herself as the sounds of the rustling leaves swayed from the treetops by the cool breeze.

She breathed.

“Five hundred years, that’s how long I’ve been living here. It hasn’t really been that bad. I hadn’t suffered in any particular way other than a little loneliness, which in all honesty had hurt a little at first.”

One of the clouds that rolled by resembled a person pointing at her accusingly.

“Okay, so it hurt quite a bit! I’m young. I enjoy the company of others. And I…”

She paused, growing increasingly angry at herself as tears began to water her eyes.

“I especially love the company of my family. All I have ever wanted was to have a complete and happy family. But I never got that wish. And that’s what hurts the most. A lot of my family didn’t get along, especially with my mother. It’s not fair!”

She shouts at the accusatory cloud.

“And then Sonia comes along out of nowhere and changes things even further. Stealing hearts and gaining everyone’s trust and love. Am I the only one that’s bothered by it all? Stupid Sonia! Why did it have to be her? Sticking her nose where it don’t belong! And to make matters worse, Gran imbued her with the family crest, making her part of the royal family, something that is usually meant for a bride. But if she’s the Silver Queen, did she even need it? Wouldn’t that have made her a goddess anyway?

But, Mother is very strong. I suppose it would be possible for Sonia to have been killed by her, even if she is the Silver Queen. Perhaps it really was the only way to save her, but it doesn’t make me feel any better about it. She’s not my mother! I don’t want her to be my mother! I don’t need her!”

Sara, frustrated at the thought of relying on an outsider’s help to free them from their punishment, screamed into the jacket she laid on.’

“Did you say, Sonia?” Said a disembodied voice. The sound of it came out strained and breathless.

Sara looked around, confused.

“Ummm, yes?”

She heard a rustling of leaves and branches down the small slope from where she was, and saw what looked like a figure wrapped in wicked purple vines. The figure struggled to free itself as the curious Sara approached it. The wicked vine bound the figure’s arms and legs, suspending it in the air above the ground. There were so many vines covering the poor person, that the only thing that was visible was their deep green eyes and firey red hair.

“Are you human?” Sara asked from her hill.

The figure twisted and wriggled her head until her mouth was freed.

“Yes, I’m human, unfortunately.”

“What do you mean unfortunately? You don’t want to be human?”

“You mentioned Sonia. She was gravely wounded when you met her, wasn’t she?”

Sara thought for a moment.

“Yes, quite. Her skull was cracked and her ribs were broken.”

The figure flinched.

“My auntie did that to her. I’ve had to live with her all my life. Happiness was a fleeting thing in my household. A flicker of it here and there, but nothing compares to the visit I had with Sonia.”

Sara turned her head in disgust.

“You don’t even have to finish your story. I know what you're going to say. She performed some miracle, didn’t she?”

“Yes.” The figure said simply. “Which, by the way, you happen to share her beautiful blue eyes. They’re wonderfully mesmerizing.”

“Don’t you dare compare me to her, human.” Sara snapped.

“Oh, I didn’t realize you two were at odds. My apologies.”

“We’re not, honestly.” She said, hugging her knees close to her chest. “I’m just sick of hearing about her. It seems no matter where I go, her name follows me like an annoying curse.”

“Nonsense, I would think she would be more like a blessing.”

Sara sighed and said no more.

The figure wiggled and wrenched against the vines that held her.

“You wouldn’t happen to be in the mood to help me, would you? As you can see, I’m in a bit of a bind.”

“You’re a funny one, aren’t you?” Sara asked as she got to her feet. She jumped gracefully down the small hill, her old, worn boots slid in the damp soil. Sara now stood face to face with the stranger. How did you get like that, you silly thing?” She asked.

The figure’s eyes lowered in hesitation.

“I know you don’t want to hear about her, but it is as you say. She performed a miracle. And I just couldn’t bear to let her go, while I continue to live my life of perpetual sorrow. Even if magic was not involved, she was kind and caring.”

“You came to look for her.” Sara said, putting her fingers to her chin in thought. “What I would like to know is how you managed to cross the magic barrier protecting this place.”

“A barrier? I didn’t notice anything on my way here.”

“You’re the second person to breach the curse surrounding the cathedral. The very soil you stand on is cursed.” Sara looked down, remembering the figure’s condition. “Well, the soil below you, in any case. What’s your name, human?”

My name is Rachel.”

”Rachel. I like it. My name is Sara, by the way. I may not look it, but I’m a princess of the realm of Celestia, the land of the gods.”

The figure’s eyes went wide with wonder as she looked into the princess’s brilliant blue eyes that looked like Sonia’s. The princess sighed, already aware of Rachel’s thoughts.

“And yes, Sonia is also a Celestian goddess, before you ask.

“A goddess?”

“Yes, a goddess.”

“That sounds very neat, but what does that mean, exactly? What is a goddess?”

Sara was surprisingly perplexed by the question, a question she had never thought about before.

“You…don’t know?”

Sara shuffled her boots through the soft forest soil, creating a circular line behind her.

“It’s not that I don’t know,” Sara said. “It’s just that no one’s ever asked me this before. What is a goddess? I would think that a goddess is someone worthy of worship, like a leader, but me, I’m not like Sonia. Technically speaking, I’m not a goddess. I’m just simply an immortal. Although, by immortal standards, I’m still very young, only having lived for a thousand years, unlike my father, who has lived over five times that amount. I believe I was meant to become a goddess through training, but my family and I were cursed before I could even consider the option.

As they were speaking, purple vines snaked their way silently from the bushes along the ground, slithering over rocks and trees without a sound. They gently wrapped around Sara’s legs, who didn’t even feel them as the girls spoke.

“My goodness! You’ve given me so much information to process. A thousand years? You’ve lived that long?”

“Yes, though half of that was spent here at the cathedral.”

“Your dad is a god?”

“Yes, in fact, he's the King of the gods, a very powerful deity.”

“Wow, that’s awesome!”

“Thank you. He is awesome.” Sara said proudly.

“And if you’re the daughter of a king, that definitely makes you royalty as well. Wow!”

Sara smiled at Rachel’s excitement.

“I think I like you, Rachel. Here, let’s get you out of that.”

But as soon as she tried to take a step, the vines that wrapped around her ankles bound tightly as more vines sprang violently from the shadows of the forest that quickly whipped around her waist, lifting her off the ground.

Sara tried to tear off the vines, but they were terrifyingly strong, binding even tighter around her as more snatched her wrists.

The vines that held Rachel came to life as it wiggled, twisted, and moved, shifting as it brought the two girls together, binding them from head to toe.

Before she could even scream, Sara was trapped without the strength to free herself, struggling desperately against its powerful grip. Eerie purple veins pulsated as small, sharp spines protruded from it, which dug into its poor victims. Rachel was the first to scream. She twitched and convulsed from the shock of pain. Sara could feel the wetness of Rachel’s mortal blood as the creature fed on her.

And then it was Sara who screamed next as it fed on her divine energy. Searing, wicked energy flowed throughout her body like a web of purple veins that robbed her of her energy, her life.

The two girls hung helpless as the monster devoured them slowly. Rachel cried out in horror every time it pumped its scorching toxin into her body.

“I’m sorry Rachel. I could have freed you, but like an idiot, I took too long.” She said as she gritted through the pain. She defiantly twisted her body in an attempt to fight her way out when the monster took a mean hold of her legs and wrenched them sideways, breaking them. She screamed a blood curdling scream, and shouted a single word. The word had left her lips without any thought behind it other than her desperation. But maybe, deep in her heart, she knew why she had shouted Sonia's name.

Sara’s cry resounded through the forest like a hurricane through the trees. Its gale force blew right through the forest and into the cathedral where Gran and the king were talking, holding the sleeping Sonia. The desperate scream blew the doors clear off the hinges and swept Gran off her feet.

Like a genie being summoned from its lamp, Sonia’s eyes shot open with blazing blue fire, and her hair became a scorching white flame as her divine power bursted from beneath her mortal flesh. Like a blazing rocket, she sprang from the throne with such force that it left the king reeling in surprise.

She flew right out of the building and into the forest with blinding speed, paying no mind to any tree or boulder that blocked her way. With her strength, she paved a clear path toward the gale’s source. Coming to a halting stop in front of the girls struggling for their lives.

Everything in the area blew completely away in the wake of Sonia’s arrival, leaving the area completely bare. Even the grass was ripped from the ground. Only the soil remained. With everything gone, it left only the monster behind, which resembled a giant frog covered in moss.

The monster screeched in pain as Sonia swung a leg at it, kicking it high in the air, separating it from its tentacled vines. The two girls dropped to the ground with a thud.

Sonia then leaped into the air and met the monster with a powerful swing of her fist that completely obliterated it. A loud shockwave shook the forest on impact.

Rachel, bloody and mangled, could no longer feel any pain as the astonishing sight of her friend stole her breath.

For all her miserable life, only the stories of magical princesses and dragons became her comfort. And now, she found herself surrounded by the very things that she could only read about on mere paper. The glorifying radiance of Sonia’s new appearance left her speechless and in awe.

Sonia landed lightly on bare soil and ran to Sara’s side. she ripped apart the vines that held her and saw the awkward angle her legs were positioned. She reached out to grab hold of her, but Sara breathlessly resisted.

“Let go of me. I don’t need your help.” Sara said, slapping Sonia’s hand away. “Go check on the mortal.”

“The mortal?” Sonia asked. Her blue eyes and white hair lost its flaming aura, but her blue eyes still shone with divine light.

She walked over to mortal still wrapped into the severed vines. She easily ripped them open, and revealed the bloody body of her friend.

“Rachel!” She screamed, scooping her up into her arms, she held her and wept.

“Look at you.” Rachel said with a whisper. “You really are a goddess. This is the second time I’ve seen those eyes. You truly are something beyond the boundaries of this word, something immortal and wonderful.

“Hold tight. I’m taking you to see Gran, she’ll be able to heal you. And besides,” she said with a smirk, “it’s been a little while since I’ve eaten her delicious sweet bread.” With Rachel on one shoulder, she hoisted Sara on the other despite her angry protest, and lept high into the air. The ground quickly became a collection of speckled dots as they broke through a thick layer of clouds.

Rachel and Sara gasped together as they flew through the sky like birds in flight.

It was a short flight, however, as they soon made their descent toward the ground below.