The Goddesses Throne

by A. Kingsley

“Hello darling,” he said to Maximus. His eyes broke away from Maximus when he noticed who was standing beside him. He bowed his head to Oralee.

  “Love, I’m sure that you are aware of Oralee. Remember when I mentioned my mother? Well, this is her. I suppose that she didn’t actually die, but instead, she fled. My mum has always been Oralee, she was just disguised. I apologize that your bonkers life with me just keeps getting more strange, but I promise I haven’t been keeping secrets. I just found this information out myself.” Maximus’s expression was soft, his eyes were truly apologetic.

  “Don’t be silly, I love life with you even if it is a little bonkers at times. I just wish that you would tell the people about us, but I know right now isn’t the time for that conversation. Other than that, I’m perfectly content, even with the magic and the Goddesses.” Stellan placed a kiss on Maximus’s forehead and then turned to Oralee. He had taken this so well because he had always believed that the Goddesses were real.

  “It’s nice to meet you Stellan, I look forward to getting to know you more in the future, but I am aware that you have to leave and I am not quite done here.” She took his gloved hand and gave it a solid shake before pulling away.

  “I’ll tell the people about you soon, I promise,” Maximus said. He was happy to see his mother and his boyfriend getting along so well. He wished that he could continue this blissful reunion at the reception, but he had a kingdom to attend to. “Come back to the castle please, as soon as you can,” Maximus said desperately, taking her image in, in case he never saw her again.

  “I’ll be there as soon as time allows. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds delightful. I could use another break from war,” Maximus said.

  “Well then it’s a deal. Goodbye Max, goodbye Stellan,” she waved.

  “Bye Oralee!” Stellan shouted.

  “Bye … mum,” Maximus said.

  Oralee watched the two of them climb into the carriage and headed inside once they were out of sight. It began to rain.

  Back at the reception, the food had just been served. Sage, Julius, Gracielle, Clare and Cassius all sat together, with one empty chair open for Oralee. The Goddess arrived quickly and took the empty seat in hopes that it was for her. She didn’t want to interrupt their conversation, but upon her arrival they all looked to her.

  “Can you please tell Clare whatever you want to tell her. I don’t want to be rude, but I’d like to get on with the rest of my night without another plot twist,” Sage said as she took a bite of her mashed potatoes, her eyebrows raised in annoyance.

  “Right, I’m so sorry. Clare, I’m sure that Julius has filled you in,” once she their heads nod, she smiled and began. “I wanted to talk to you Clare. I guess I can just say it here, it’s a safe space. The Goddesses chose you for your magic, they saw something special in you and some special things that you might be able to do in your future. You’ve felt a strange pull towards my sons because I am their mother and while they share my blood, you share some of my magic. You’re not related to me in a familial way, but since I chose you to have magic, it makes sense for you to feel closely connected to them. I just wanted to share that to you and clear up some confusion. Special people run in your family, that’s why you found another person with magic in your family, but that doesn’t mean magic is passed down by blood. The Goddesses chose you.”

  Clare swallowed the piece of meat that she was chewing on, her eyes were terrified. “I am not sure why you chose me to posses magic, but nonetheless I am honored. Your explanation helped to clear up my confusion, so thank you for talking to me. Am I in debt to you? Am I supposed to go to you for guidance?”

  “You are not in debt to me, but it would be appreciated if you complied to my wishes in the future. You can come to me for magic guidance if you are having a hard time with control and judging by your outburst at the town center, I assume you are struggling. Anything other than that, no, we will come to you. It will become clear to you what you are meant to do someday soon.”

  Oralee looked back at Julius and frowned, “I have some important business to attend to. Let’s talk now and then I promise I will leave you be,” she said. Julius looked to Sage for her permission and when she agreed, he stood and walked with Oralee out into the hall.

  “What is it that you want to know? Though we have missed you, it hasn’t been too long since you have been gone and I get the feeling that you’ve been watching.”

  “I just want to know how you’ve been … how life has been for you after you came back,” she whispered.

  “Well … when I first came back I was very confused and I was weak. All the muscle that I had gained in the previous years had practically disappeared. As you can tell, I don’t have much of it left. I had most of my memories when I woke up, but some of them were gone entirely. I tripped over my feet a lot and I had forgotten how to do some things. Maximus had to coach me through them again. But eventually life was almost normal, I just can’t remember much from my younger years. Sage has been a gift. I regret not telling her about my accident sooner, but I was afraid that I’d lose her. I really do love her and I wouldn’t have needed an arranged marriage to marry her.”

  “I’m glad that you’ve been doing well and that you found her and I’m sorry that I left.”

  “I would have left too. You did the right thing, Europe needed you more than we did,” he smiled.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but I have a wife I need to get back to. I’ll talk with you another time, please make sure to stick around, especially with the war, we are going to need you.”

  “Of course I will, I love you Julius.”

  “Love you mum,” he embraced her in a gentle hug. He stayed there in her arms for a minute before he pulled away and walked out of her sight.

  Sage had finished her meal by the time that Julius came back. Sage was typically always hungry and she was unafraid to eat seconds and thirds even on her wedding night. Julius sat next to her and squeezed her hand under the table. He attempted to finish his food quickly so that they could get on with the festivities. Though he was fond of the idea of consuming a ton of alcohol, he didn’t want to ruin the sweet night he’d be able to spend with her. Instead, he kept filling up Cassius and Clare’s glasses, knowing the two of them could use a good stress reliever. They didn’t object, in fact they downed drink after drink, clinking their glasses and getting closer to one another with each one.

  Gracielle, had left the table to dance around the ballroom and when Sage and Julius came back from making their rounds and partaking in a few dances themselves, they found the couple slumped against one another. Cassius was playing with her hair and Clare was gazing up at him, giggling. It was a sight that Julius found pure and a sight that Sage found revolting.

  Jesse and Gracielle had reunited. Though their talk was awkward and forced at first, throughout the evening they got well acquainted with one another. Gracielle had also taken a liking to Fran and Natalia and had promised that they could come to the palace anytime that they liked. While the queen danced, she kept her eye on Clare who had one too many glasses of wine and was flirting with Cassius, brushing her fingers against his face. He was too out of it to truly react, instead he just held her close, his eyes half open. She’d need to put the two of them to bed soon.

  “Jesse, I’m so sorry, please know that you are welcome at our home anytime. I really shouldn’t have cut you out of my life for all of those years.” Gracielle was holding onto him in a slow dance. He had forgotten how to Waltz, so she led the way.

  “I forgive you Gracielle, but only because Wade would have wanted me to.” His eyes flickered over to where Clare was sitting. “And because I want to be there for your daughters, they deserve me back in their lives. So I think, if it’ll be alright, I’ll stay in the palace. I’m sure there are plenty of guest bedrooms.”

  “Yes there are plenty, you can travel home with us. Though both of my girls might take a m
oment to warm up to you, I’m sure they’ll both appreciate your presence.”

  “I hope so, I’m not the happiest person, but I will learn to smile around them.“

  “Don’t punish yourself for what you’ve been through. It’s okay not to be bubbly when life gives you no reason to be,” Gracielle whispered.

  “You have always been so kind,” Jesse told her.

  “I wouldn’t say that, I pushed you away.”

  “You had just as much of a right to grieve as I did. I could have always come back and asked how you were, but I didn’t. If I did, you would have accepted me back.”

  “I would’ve.”

  “Then there’s my point.”

  “Where are Sage and Julius?” Gracielle asked, changing the subject.

  “Oh they’ve left.”

  Sage and Julius traveled in the rain to a carriage that took them to the small cottage across from the palace. The rain was starting to pound against the floor, but the carriage was still able to continue. It was only a five minute ride to the small cottage where they would stay for the night. Sage wasn’t full of lust, but she was filled with the need to spend some time alone with her husband. The coachman left the two of them with a singular wave and they dashed inside of the warm and cozy cottage, removing their boots and placing them at the door.

  The home was filled with warm lighting from lanterns and various candles, a sofa and large bookshelves filled with books of all colors and sizes. Around the corner was a bedroom and inside were their things that had already been placed there early in the day.

  Sage smiled as she took off the white coat that had been over her wedding dress. “I can’t wait to get out of this thing. Did you get one last good look?”

  Julius paused and placed a hand on his chin, he scratched his nonexistent stubble and then grinned from ear to ear. “I think I did, let me fetch you what you’ve packed.”

  Sage unzipped the back of her dress to the best of her abilities and then slipped out of it. She caught his blush as he turned around to hand her the pair of night clothes from her suitcase.

  “Naked women still fluster you?”

  “Not necessarily, just your beauty and you’re technically not naked.” He turned back around and gestured to the undergarments that she was still wearing. He wasn’t phased when she pulled off her brassiere, it would be more comfortable for her without it. “I’ll never get enough of you.”

  “And I will never get enough of you,” Sage said. “You know, a normal married couple would be participating in a very scandalous act right now.”

  “Did … did you want?” he stuttered.

  “No silly, not right now. Maybe another night.”

  “Oh okay,” he said with a satisfied smile on his face. His company was enough for her and that made him beam with joy.

  Sage grinned at his smile and took the clothes from his hand. She pulled on a loose long sleeve t-shirt and a pair of silk pants. She slipped into a pair of socks that were fuzzy and warm. She went to the vanity to take off her makeup while he stripped off his suit.

  “I feel more comfortable around you now that you know the truth. Lying to you about my scar didn’t feel right,” Julius said. He turned around to face her, hoping that she would glance at him. Sage might have known that she was beautiful, but Julius was still unconfident with the way that he looked and though he knew that there was no one else she’d rather be with, he often let his thoughts focus on his insecurities. He often wondered if she was pleased with his body and though he knew that the answer was yes in his heart, his brain made him wonder if the answer was no.

  Sage had just finished wiping the makeup off of her face with a wet cloth, she turned around expecting to see Julius clothed, but he was standing there in his boxers.

  “Are you trying to make me faint?” she asked. She stood up from the chair. “I know you have got to be freezing.” She walked over to him and rested her warm hands against his chest.

  “Just a little bit,” he whispered.

  “Are you hinting at something?” she whispered back, her fingers gently trailed down his stomach. “Because you’re very handsome and I’m delighted to be with you,” she kissed the crook of his neck.

  Relief flooded his stomach and he felt himself relax. “I would just like to spend tonight with you like this.”

  “With hardly any clothes?”

  “Yes,” he laughed. “There are plenty of blankets to warm me up.”

  Sage dropped her hand to meet his and guided him to bed. She crawled underneath the heavy comforter with him and pressed herself up against him. He wasn’t as warm as he used to be and she loved to provide him with what he couldn’t have. With her head against his chest, she placed both of her hands on his stomach, “I love you. I don’t say it enough, I don’t know why it’s so hard, but it feels a bit easier now that I know you absolutely feel the same. Just know that I love you.”

  “I love you too Sage,” he kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. “That was a good wedding. A bit odd considering a Goddess who is apparently my mum was in attendance, but since when could we escape the abnormal?”

  “Strangeness follows us, but yes a good wedding. Hopefully Clare and Cassius got upstairs alright. Did you see them?”

  “I did, they were still in the ballroom when we left, but your mum had an eye on them. They’ve both been through it, so I don’t blame them for indulging.”

  “Me neither, but I found it a bit funny. Clare hasn’t ever drank that much. Not that I know of anyways.”

  “Well there is a first time for everything, but don’t worry about it, your mums got it. I’m glad that she got to see Jesse again. Did you ever get to meet him?”

  “Oh Oralee, I totally forgot to go introduce myself further. He said congratulations, but that was about all I exchanged with him. I’ll be sure to chat with him some more tomorrow, I’m sure he spent the night at the royal palace like most of the guests.”

  “I’m sure he did, you’ll be alright. And I think that we might have to find a new saying that does not include Oralee, it’s a bit strange now,” he admitted. His hands ran down her arms.

  “Oh right, my bad. I’ll figure something out,” she said. She broke away from him and told him that she would be right back. When she came back, she brought a clean wet cloth. “You’re not supposed to sleep with makeup on, Julius,” she told him. Crawling back onto the bed, she held the cloth up to his face and when he nodded, she began to gently move the rag in circles until she got all of the makeup off. She laughed at how pink his face was from the cloth and kissed his lips before tossing the cloth on the floor and rolling to lay down next to him.

  “So tonight, are you going to be tried enough to sleep?” he asked her curiously. Though he might be able to go to bed, he had this idea in his head, he wanted to spend the entire night talking with her.

  “I could sleep, but I don’t have to sleep tonight if that’s what you’re asking. What exactly did you have in mind?” she questioned.

  “I just wanted to spend as much time with you as possible. I want to ask you questions, read to you and enjoy your company before reality sets back in.”

  “That sounds delightful to me.”

  They did exactly that. Julius asked Sage every question that he could possibly think of. He learned that her favorite season was summer and that if she had to pick a favorite book, even though she hated them, it would be The History of European Wars. He learned that she could spend hours under the stars and that if she could only walk the world at night and sleep during the day, she would.

  She learned that he truly had no favorite season and that his favorite book was, A Tale of Love. He told her that if he could have a different path in life he would prefer not to have a high status, he wanted to be one with the people, he wanted others to only see his heart and not his money.

  Later that night, he read to her, she much preferred stories when Julius told them to her.

  They fell asleep when the sun
came up and were woken up a few hours later by a knock on the door.

  “Sage, wake up, your carriage leaves soon,” Clare shouted from outside of the door. Though Clare wouldn’t be coming home just yet, Sage had to leave to perform her duties. Clare looked a mess, her hair was sticking up, her eyes were puffy, she had a massive headache and her shirt was on backwards.

  Sage leapt out of bed at the sound of her sister's voice and opened the door. When she took in the sight of her, she raised her eyebrows. “I’m not even going to ask what happened to you or what you might have done, but we will be ready soon, in fact, I need to go see Jesse before he leaves, so tell mum I’ll be down shortly.” She waited for Clare to nod and once she did, she shut the door and ran back to her room.

  Julius woke up, lazily rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes.

  “It’s breakfast time already isn’t it?” He looked over to Sage who was already stripping off her night clothes and looking for something new to wear. She wasn’t going to bathe here, he was already well aware of that. He stood from the bed and got dressed in a pair of comfortable pants and a knitted cream sweater. He pulled his boots on and quickly ran a brush through his hair.

  For her outfit, Sage had chosen a pair of olive green pants and a white long sleeve turtleneck. She put her new weapons belt around her waist and clipped her sword onto to it.

  “It is breakfast time.” She took the brush from him and ran it through her short straight hair before tossing it into her bag. “You kept us up late, remember,” she winked, messily throwing everything else, including her wedding dress into the bag. Once she zipped it up, Julius came by her side and swung the bag over his shoulders. Sage was completely capable, in fact, she seemed annoyed that he was carrying it, but he wanted to be polite.

  Breakfast was made and on the table by the time that they had arrived. All of the guests had departed aside from Jesse and Natalia who had come as dates and of course Gracielle, who reluctantly had stayed the night in order to keep an eye on her hungover daughter. But the queen had Cisily now to help her and she sent the young girl home the night before with Phoebe and Esmeralda, so that they could all keep an eye on the palace. Cassius and Clare were also in attendance at breakfast, they both looked extremely tired, but they had gotten out of bed to share a meal with the newly wed couple.