CHAPTER 145: A CONCERN OF LEGACY

Darius’ galloping heart stalled like a frozen river, as he stared at me in horror and disbelief, but everyone else, those who did not understand the severity of my words were only alarmed when they beheld the conflicted faces of the Grand Vizier and the two ancient protectors of the empire, Isaac and Abraham.

But Cyrus was far too excited to notice all of this, as he simply asked "Huh? So she’s a demi-God too?"

His nonchalant words, coupled with his casual delivery of them, caused those who understood to break out in awkward smiles, as they suddenly envied my brother’s innocence and naivety.

"Yes she is. And a very powerful one at that." I answered him with a small smile.

"How stro..." Cyrus jumped up with another question, his eyes on the edge of truly sparkling with unquenchable curiosity, and a new born burning desire to meet his soon to be family, but before he could, Nizam interrupted him by placing his hand on his shoulder

"Before all of that brother, tell us what has the Grand Vizier and the others so dismayed." Nizam seriously said with a hint of worry laced within, his gaze unflinchingly set on mine.

"What?" It was only then that Cyrus noticed the irregularity with the surrounding air, as he looked around at all those sitting at the table.

Lightly smiling at Nizam’s cleverness, and his increasingly sharpening vigilance and awareness, I reply "Tell me something my darling brothers, have you never asked yourselves why members of my kind rarely, if ever wed, and instead solely marry mortals?"

My question seemed to stun the two of them, clearly showing that they had indeed never questioned this seemingly inconsequential fact of life.

"I thought it was because you are the heirs of your respective nations, so you couldn’t marry into a foreign country’s family." Cyrus said.

"Then how do you explain subjugated houses, like those of Seraphina’s? Why is it that Valdour, never thought of her as a prospective candidate to maritally bind their two houses through his son Va’lin, even when it might prove to be a very profitable deal for the both of them?" I asked another question, making them feel stumped yet again, before I then completely decimated the remnants of their answer, saying "Besides, who said that if a demi-God weds another then they would be abandoning their responsibilities? After all, I’m certain your history lessons must have covered the life of the founding father of the Luminous Kingdom and his wife, correct?"

Cyrus looked even more confused than before, as he racked his brain to recall those dusty old textbooks he hated, but Nizam’s eyes lit up like lanterns in the night when he heard my words, as he quickly answered "King Marcus and Queen Calista!"

"Yes indeed." I affirmed his words, continuing "The most preeminent descendant of the Sun God and the first great king of the Golden City, along with the renowned offspring of the Goddess of Beauty and the first queen of the Omorfia Isles."

"You mean that old love story?" Leonid questioned, remembering those names from his Anastasia’s favourite book, since his dear sister would often tell him about it.

"Yes. Despite all they’ve accomplished in their lives, they are best remembered today for the affection they held for one another." I answered.

"They are also known as the only two in recorded history to not be beset upon by the Conjoined Divinities Curse." Darius then added, his tone and eyes blaring sirens of forewarning.

"The what now?" Cyrus asked with a frown.

"The Conjoined Divinities Curse, or simply the Conjoined Curse." I calmly repeated. "That is the real reason why we demi-Gods never marry ones of our own kind."

I then looked back at the Grand Vizier, saying "I never took for a man of superstition, and the old wives’ tales, Darius."

"Nor am I." He instantly replied, continuing "But I am saddened to say sire, that they might actually hold some truth to them this time; especially since this phenomenon has brought ruin to more than one God blooded house throughout the last five millennia."

"What do you mean, Grand Vizier?" Nizam quickly asked, his heart thumping when he heard the old man’s final words.

"Demi-Gods can not conceive children with another of their kind, my young prince." Darius kindly explained with a weary sigh.

"Only the aforementioned King Marcus and Queen Calista were ever able to continue their lineage with each other." Horus quickly added.

"How?" Cyrus asked.

"No one knows." I calmly answered. "Maybe they were just lucky, but if there truly was a method to it, then they took it with them to the grave, since even their descendants have failed to do what they did."

"Then... couldn’t you just do as father did?" Nizam hesitantly asked, and though he didn’t say it outright, his meaning was obvious.

’Couldn’t you just take in a few lovers for the purpose of giving birth to the needed heir and be done with it?’

"If it were so easy, then why would Darius be as concerned as he is?" I asked him with a teasing smile, before turning to the too frantically calculating Master Puppeteer of the empire, to notice my gaze.

"For some reason when two demi-Gods copulate with one another they lose the ability to reproduce with ordinary mortals, unless..." Abraham paused for a moment not sure if he should say his coming words, but seeing my brothers’ eyes boring into him, he continued "Unless one of them dies. Or at least that is the running theory, after what happened to the Aion Kingdom, and the descendants of the God of Time, nearly eighteen hundred years ago now."

"And what exactly happened to them?" Cyrus anxiously asked.

"The last Tyrant of Time, as they called themselves, King Arius the Accursed, desired a woman named Sabrina, who was the daughter and heir to king Acheron, the at the time ruler of the Avani Kingdom and a descendant of the Goddess of Rivers. So he started a war for her and manged to win, but after he claimed the girl, he became unable to sire anymore children, even previously he’d been perfectly capable of doing so." Nizam quickly explained with furrowed brows, remembering the book he’d read a few years ago.

"And then what happened?" Cyrus urged his older brother.

"The Time God’s bloodline was broken since he could not give father anymore sons or daughters, even after he tried everything he could think of, even returning princess Sabrina to her father and allowing her to marry someone else. But all was lost, as he went mad think he’d been cursed by the Gods, hence his now infamous title of the Accursed. Funnily enough though, shortly after he took his own life, the newly crowned queen Sabrina became pregnant and gave birth to her son, who would later on become king after her." Darius completed what Nizam started, as his eyes stared at me the entire time with unmasked worry.

A burdened quiet then shrouded the room, before then the ever optimistic and confident Cyrus proclaimed "Then we just have to unveil the secret of King Marcus and Queen Calista!"

His words even stunned me for a second, before a hearty laugh erupted from me, as I said looking at the devoted old man in front of me "Hear that Grand Vizier, seems we have our course already charted down for us."

"My liege..." Darius was not as amused as I , as he tried to once again argue, but I was beginning to lack the patience for it.

"It’s done Darius. I will not be changing my mind on the matter." I said with narrowed, howling eyes, as wisps of divine power slipped into my words threateningly, making the gargantuan frame Ardaanin slightly quake in response, as the tyrant within my mind growled at this old fool to cease his drivel.

None spoke for the next few seconds, as the dreadful tension in the air continued to build and strain, like a bow string stretched too tight and was on the verge of snapping right next to your face, yet thankfully before that could happen, Darius said, his tone still unyielding but his voice carried a whiff of consent "Sire, is she truly worth such a risk?"

"Yes." I unhesitatingly answered, before my madness receded back like the tide from encroaching further into my words, as I offered him a reassuring smile, saying "Besides Darius, do you truly take me for someone who would not have already thought of all necessary countermeasures for the problem?"

My words stunned the listeners, as Darius shot to his feat, nearly throwing his chair onto the ground while doing so, as he swiftly asked "Sire, you know a way to vanquish, or at least circumnavigate around the Cojoined Curse?!"

I slowly nod "While not fool proof, I have a few working theories on the matter with promising leads, but nothing concrete or substantial for now, so you’re going to have to wait awhile, am I clear?"

"Perfectly, sire." Darius muttered, as an enormously long sigh of pure relief escaped his mouth, as if I had the solution in hand already; but that was just how much faith and trust the ancient councillor held for me nowadays, making feel a twinge of happiness and pride at this accomplishment I didn’t even manage in past life.

But my words also brought with them a tidal wave of my own memories to the shores of the forefront of my mind, as I remembered all the times Eve and I would discuss the issue of this very matter; and how we both theorized that King Marcus’ and Queen Calista’s secret method was a simple question of gates.

Though the history books make no mention of their exact power level, it could be assumed they fairly powerful, being easily fifth or possibly even sixth gated demi-Gods, as that was the only explanation for their monumental achievements and great epics they wrote alone and together throughout their lives.

Meanwhile we are fully aware of the power of both King Arius the Accursed, which was only ever at the fourth gate, while queen Sabrina never passed beyond the third gate, which could mean that one needs to pass the fifth gate to recreate the legacy of Marcus and Calista; or it could mean something completely different.

It didn’t matter either way, I would find the answers I was looking for no matter the cost, even if I had to drag those two’s souls back from my ancestor’s kingdom and wring the words from their ethereal tongues, I would not hesitate to do so; for I refuse to not correct and recreate the third greatest regret of my past life.