CHAPTER 11 - FAMILY MATTERS

As lunchtime drew closer, I started to think about how I would explain to everyone about my current situation. I could just straight up tell them I am a goddess. Alternatively, I could recount the whole story as I experienced it, with the latter one making more sense being more subtle. I did not want to shock them too much.

Whichever way I do it, I have to decide soon, as lunchtime was near. As a person or goddess now, of my words, I must follow through with my decisions.

While I was talking with my friends, I could feel that Claude had woken up, meaning a maid would soon come to call us for lunch. I still was not completely used to it, but I could feel who was asleep and who was not when I concentrated. It felt a bit creepy to me, so I tried not to think about it too much, but as I was consciously aware that my brother was asleep, it was hard not to think about it. I need to practice more with my newfound domains, before I accidentally find out too much about my brother’s nightlife.

No sooner had I realised the negative aspects of my rest domain when a maid arrived to inform us that Claude had woken up and lunch would start soon.

Thus, my friends and I started our way to Claude’s private dining hall. There were multiple dining halls in the main palace, as often, delegates from other countries would stay at the palace and it was often not suitable for them to always eat with the king, so there was a total of five private dining halls with one being located on each guest floor. The top floor which was the floor above us was Claude and Ingrid’s offices, their private rooms, a shared lounge, and the private dining room which we were headed towards.

Generally, only people with business either Claude or Ingrid would be allowed up on this floor but, as Claude’s sister and the Kingdom’s only current heir, it was only right that I could wander freely on this floor. Plus, I did have business with both Claude and Ingrid.

When we reached Claude’s private dining hall, the maids help pull out the chairs as we sat down. My friends continued to act as if they owned the place, as they had been eating with me daily since they were six and, in that time, often, we would be joined by either Ingrid or Claude, sometimes both, so it had reached the point where they were completely used to royalty. They were not like the extremely careful and scared six-year-old girls.

But I like them the way they are now. I mean image talking we people who are supposed to be your friends, but they are constantly too scared to say or do anything in case they offend you. No thank you, I would much rather have friends that steal my food than a group of people that would just agree with me, even if I said something that was completely wrong.

Looking at this group of girls that were complaining about how hungry they were, you would be fooled into thinking that they were a normal group of common little girls. But you would be wrong, these were the ‘noble’ daughters of our lovely kingdom. I wonder if this kingdom is safe having these little girls who are the potential, future leaders of our country. Completely ignored the fact that I often acted in the same way as these girls. I guess the kingdom is fine, as they are all the youngest in their family and they have siblings that have their act together and can inherit their family titles.

While we were horsing around waiting for the food to arrive, Claude who was looking well-rested as well as Ingrid arrived. Joining us as we joked about silly little things. Once the food arrived, we moved onto a more serious topic about our enrolment at the academy.

Claude wanted to know whether we wanted to stay at the academy and live in the dorms or travel daily from our homes to the academy as day students. We had already discussed amongst ourselves that we would live in the dorms. It was perfect for us as the dorms were split into small villas that could house eight students and their maids and servants. It was also by far the more convenient option for someone like me who liked to sleep in. While the academy was located near the palaces it was still half an hour by carriage to get there.

Once we told our plans to Claude, he said he would make sure we were all assigned to the same villa so we could look out for each other. He also told us about his experience there at the academy and about which clubs and societies were good. But for whatever reason, he started to talk about how he met Ingrid there and how they got together. The detains were about to get spicy when Ingrid stabbed a knife into the table and glared at Claude telling him to stop or else there would be consequences. Knowing that he had gone too far he stopped.

For the rest of lunch, we all ate in silence. Once we were done, I finally got onto the topic as to why I had gathered everyone. I asked that all the maids, servants, and guards leave save for Erika, Gil and Alec.

When I saw that the doors were closed, I started retelling the story. From the very beginning, of how I was originally not from Arcadia. I told them about Karla raising me on earth and how I died there. They were in disbelief as they had watched me grow up here. I told them to wait until the end as I was getting to that part. After recounting the situation of my rebirth, I explained that when I was reborn, I had my memory suppressed. Because my young mind could not handle it. Going further, I even told them about the god hunters which led to mum giving the young me to the queen of Kar to raise after she had a stillbirth and that the chest was left by Karla and its purpose. With that, I finally reach the present, where I had opened the chest and regained my memories of the past life. As well as how I claimed my domains becoming a real goddess.

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They were stunned for a while after I finished but, Ingrid broke the silence by raising her doubts.

“Are you even the same person with memories of your past life being back?”

“I am still the same person, it is more like I can recall things from my past life. How I like to think about it is in this life I learnt how to gain knowledge from someone in the past. I am not any different to the Ayra from before save for gaining a lot of power. There is nothing I can do that can make you guys believe me all I can say is trust me.”

Claude who had been silent finally told me that he believed me. Our previous banter from before and during lunch had convinced him that I was still the same person. Following that everyone finally accepted the idea that I was not and would not become someone else. They felt relieved that even with my memories, I was still the Arya they knew and loved.

The one point they did not believe me, was about my abilities as a goddess. Feeling that the only way to resolve this was to change into my goddess form, I resigned myself to my fate of forever being remembered as a magical girl.

With a thought, my body was covered in a blinding silver light caused by the divine runes covering my body. When they receded, I was no longer wearing the white shirt and plaided skirt from before. I was now wearing the flowy white summer dress that was weaved with my very divinity. My hair also changed into the half up half down braided look.

Everyone that was looking at me instantly prostrated them before me.

“Everyone get up what are you guys doing. I’m still the same Ayra don’t just suddenly prostrate before this isn’t what I want.”

While they stopped prostrating themselves on the ground, no matter what I said, they would not look directly at me. Even if they tried, they could not because of this force I was emitting. Finally realising the problem, I released my goddess form, changing back into what I was wearing previously in another flash of silver runes.

Once I had returned to normal, they were finally able to look straight at me. I think it was due to my divinity, as I had also felt pressure when all the gods were present, but unlike me, they did not have any divinity to protect themselves from the force. I decided to seal my goddess form for now, until I knew how to control it better or found a way to overcome its effects.

I was glad that even with this show of power they still were not treating me differently, I guess they were too stuck into their ways and shocked to even start treating me differently. Through my rest domain, I was able to tell that everyone was physically and mentally drained because of this incident. I told everyone to rest even Gil, Alec and Erika, as they were no help to anyone with how tired they were.

Before everyone went their separate ways, I channelled my divinity into each of them and informing them that it would help them rest better.

While everyone was resting, I decided to go on a walk alone. With everything that had happened, I felt overwhelmed. While sixteen days had passed for everyone, to me only a few days had gone by. Three days in mums garden and sixteen hours in the divine realm. I needed some alone time to figure things out. Subconsciously, I had made my way to Skoll and Hati the two that had started all this to begin with.

I found them sleeping by the garden at lily palace stroking their heads. I channelled some divinity into them as well. They instantly showed a comfortable appearance even in their sleep. Noticing that when I channelled divinity into Skoll and Hati silver runes appeared I tried to put more into them, as I felt that something would happen if I did. Following my gut feeling, I channelled my divinity. After a few seconds I stopped and stood back, as I felt that something was about to happen.

Skoll and Hati still deep in their sleep started to grow from the size of a large dog. They had grew to the size of a horse than a camel before they stopped. All this while they continued to sleep, I could also feel that my connection to them had reached its peak. If I was alive, they too would be alive.

I felt that was not all. If I so wish for it, they could grow and shrink in size. The fun also did not end there, thinking about how weapons and armour can be stored in accessories, I tried to store Skoll and Hati in my crystal hair accessories. That way we could always be together. I was not worried that they would feel uncomfortable as my instincts told me that it was better for them to be housed there.

With a woosh of silver, they disappear from before me and had travelled into my crystal hair accessories. Taking them off, I had a look at them, and I could feel that they now contained a trace of divinity. Looking closely at them, there were even some small silver runes they were constantly moving around as if they were alive. I knew the runes read recovery, protection and hardening. So, they housed and protected Skoll and Hati that were inside, while also boosting their natural recovery. Additionally, the hardening rune made it so that the delicate crystal accessories were virtually indestructible.

Putting them back on, I tried calling Skoll and Hati out in their smaller form that was the size of a large dog. They appeared seamlessly and were awake happy to see me. For the rest of the afternoon, I continued to play with them.

In the future, I would fondly recall how innocent and carefree I was. Those days of just not caring about anything and just playing around were always so precious.