Wenberheim 182

I slept while Marara took me back down to earth—my blood turning his white feathers red—and when I awoke, I awoke to a blood-stained battlefield with men milling about who were not fighting any longer. Instead, they had thrown down their spears, swords, and axes and were speaking with one another. They seemed to be on good terms.

The air was fresh, clean, and cold, and I saw the lustful god in the body of King Torr standing over me. He smiled.

I raised my arms above my head and saw that he must have healed me with his magic and I was no longer bleeding. I sat up and smiled back at the lustful god in the body of King Torr who gave me a hand and pulled me to my feet.

He eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he told me sincerely, “I’m sorry for what I did to that boy…”

I nodded. I was unable to forgive him entirely, but I accepted the apology.

Like a child, Torr was bouncing with happiness as he sat down in front of me, cross-legged, and held my hands. “Did you see? I took all the birds out of their heads and I called for the fighting to stop and negotiated with Paris. I told them the truth about everything. Even the moth gods and how they had intervened in all their affairs and how they are not really gods at all, but sprites instead!”

I looked around the battlefield with joy in my eyes and tears of happiness. I sniffled and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “That’s amazing.”

The lustful god nodded eagerly. “So anyway, I just… Wanted to say goodbye and thank you for everything. This body can’t retain my power anymore and I have to leave it before I end up killing this poor man. I promise I will no longer partake in the sacrifices the wild mothmen make to me, and I will die without their support and go back down to the underworld where I belong.”

I looked down sadly. “Do you really have to go? I think there’s a lot you can offer the world now that you’re better.”

The lustful god sighed with a grin and looked up at the sky. “I’m ready to face my punishment…”

But just then, in a flash of golden light, a woman who was four-feet-tall and seemed to be made of light itself appeared—she was humanoid in appearance and stunningly beautiful. She looked upon the lustful god and he looked at her.

In a moment, she was weeping. “My son!”

The lustful god was shocked and smiled brightly when he saw her, but his words were sad and solemn. “Mother! I’m sorry for everything. I’ll be going now.”

“No!” She replied, opening her arms, “come to Mother! She has so much to apologize for and so much to give her son!”

Marara was silent for a moment as he gazed intently upon his mother. In a moment, the lustful god climbed out of King Torr’s body and hobbled over to his mother in his original form of a white dove where she embraced him and apologized for everything.

“You’re not going back to the underworld! Never again! You will stay with Mother and she will look after you from now on!” The woman cried. “Now that you are no longer evil, you need not rely on the sacrifices of the mothmen to keep you alive! You need only rely on Mother!”

“Mother, I must pay for my crimes. I have to go back to the underworld.” Marara told her firmly.

I interrupted as I cleared my throat and clasped my hands behind my back. “I think you should stay. You destroyed a lot of kingdoms, why not help rebuild them?”

Marara glanced over at me, and then to his mother who was looking at him hopefully.

He took a long moment to think about it. “Do you think it’s really… Okay for me to do that? I’m not sure the mortals will allow or like it.”

I nodded with an assuring smile. “I’ll be there with you. I’ll convince them that you’ve changed. You deserve a second chance.”

Marara hopped over to me on his bird legs and wrapped me in his wings. “You’re so kind! Even after all I’ve done to you. Thank you so much.”

I looked down and thought of Terry again with tears in my eyes, and then I nodded and disengaged from Marara’s embrace.

__

Two days later, we had a celebration party in Nui. It took place outdoors and at night with much laughter and pleasant conversation warming us despite it being so cold out. Paris and I sat next to each other in the city on our individual thrones with all our subjects having a jolly time around us. The city had been beautifully decorated.

Long, expensive, colorful, and embroidered strands of fabric were laced between all the homes in the city and petals were being tossed in the air by mothwomen and human women alike.

Moths and humans had been brought together and no one was a slave in Nui. Moth mages got to show off their powers to humans by bouncing fireballs around in their hands and served to make the night all the more beautiful.

Paul and Meridi were having a wonderful time conversing with moths and humans at the party—something I thought I would never see--and I was just so happy that all of my friends made it out of the battle alive.

Caerwyn was among the crowd, but he wasn’t speaking to anyone and I realized he had no friends in that crowd. None but me. I looked at him longingly and pined for a future with him that I knew I couldn’t have. Paris would always need me more.

Paris noticed me looking at him and he kissed my cheek. “Is something wrong, my dear?”

I shook my head with a pained smile. “I’m just glad to be back with you all…”

Paris looked down with a small frown and a pained look on his face.

I asked him, “is there something wrong, Paris?”

He raised his head and met my eyes with a strong smile. “There is something wrong! I know you love that templar, and I know he needs you--he needs you more than me. You see, Mimi, the thing about me is that I’m strong now. I’m so strong thatI don’t need you anymore! You go be with the man you wanted in the first place.”

I looked at him in shock, and then I shook my head. “I won’t leave you Paris--I love you! I’m perfectly happy at your side.”

He closed his eyes and then took a deep breath. He shook his head slowly and said in a voice choked with sadness but determination, “I’ll be okay now Mimi, really. Let me prove to you that I can survive without you; It was wrong for me to hold you hostage all this time by threatening self-harm.”

I looked him in the eyes searchingly as tears came to my own eyes.

I could see he was telling the truth; he didn’t need me anymore and that was a wonderful thing. I loved him and I always would—but Caerwyn was the one I loved first—the one who gave me convictions, and the one who needed me more.

I leaned toward him and kissed him on the cheek. I said, “it’s true… You’re so strong now.”

Paris nodded. Together, we watched Caerwyn walk away from the party.

“You better go after him.” Paris said to me with his eyes shiny with tears and a tough smile.

I stood up from my throne and curtsied lowly to Paris.

For a moment we looked at each other incredibly respectfully and we let ourselves think of the wonderful times we had together.

I kissed his hand and slipped the ruby ring he had bought me back onto his finger. “You’ll make a wonderful king, and you’ll find a wife befitting you.”

I took one last look at him. He was smiling brightly with tears glistening in his eyes.

Yes, he would be okay.