1 Message from the Underworld

Footsteps and hushed whispers echoed through the corridor as two men dressed in white rushed towards the one place they knew their Queen would be. The situation was grave and unpredictable and other than seeking their Queen for her advice, they did not know what to do. Lives were at risk and they had to inform their Queen, their Goddess about the message they had received from the Underworld.

But even before they could take a step closer to the room where their Queen was resting, the guards stopped them. The two women held their spears, blocking the men from taking another step forward while they stared at them with stern gazes.

Even though they did not speak a word, their message was clear and the men could only plead with them silently. But neither woman moved away, staying put at their places as they stared back at them coldly, without any expressions.

"We would like to meet Queen Diana. Please. We have some urgent matters to discuss with Her Majesty." One of the men begged, unable to tolerate the silence anymore. But all he got was a cold look from the two maidens before him as they continued to stand in their way.

"Please. We need to meet Her Majesty." He begged again, while the man beside him nodded fervently to show the seriousness of the situation.

"Goddess Diana is meditating. Nobody is allowed to disturb her when she is meditating." One of the women stated, her voice devoid of any emotion. Even her face was completely expressionless as she performed her duties, following the orders of her Goddess diligently.

"But this is important. It concerns the lives of Her Majesty's children. We need to speak to her. We have a message for her from the Underworld." The men remained adamant. If not for the severity of the matter, they would not have stepped inside the castle at this time of the day. Everybody residing on Mount Cynthus knew the consequences of disturbing their Goddess, their Queen at this crucial time.

It would soon be the year of the moon; the year of their Goddess and she needed more power and strength for she had to bless her children and protect them from all possible dangers. So, she had to gather and cultivate the mana to sustain until the year ended.

The man's worried expression made the two guards look at them skeptically. Their eyes were filled with worry and fear and they seemed to be in a hurry to meet Goddess Diana.

"Can you not seek Goddess Luna's help in this matter?" One of the guards queried with her eyes narrowed.

"We did approach Goddess Luna first, Dame Nadya. But she too is helpless in this matter and it was she who suggested us to approach Goddess Diana."

The two guards stared at each other for a moment before they focused their gazes at the two men. Although they were still unwilling to disturb their Goddess, they had to inform her of the matter which even Goddess Luna, her other appearance could not solve. They hesitated for a moment before they eventually relented.

"Please wait here. I will inform Goddess Diana of your arrival." Dame Nadya stated and walked away from the two men who kept watching her from behind, thanking her silently in their minds.

Nadya took careful steps until she reached the chamber her Goddess was meditating and she halted for a moment, reluctant to enter the room. But she had no choice either. It concerned the lives of her children and she had to inform Her Majesty about it.

Mustering all the courage in her, she entered the room after knocking at the door, only to be blinded by the bright light at the center that illuminated the room. She sucked in a deep breath, unable to believe what she was seeing. Though the light stung her eyes, she could still see her Goddess in the middle of the room as she continued to meditate with her eyes closed while her entire self was radiating the brilliant light around her.

Nadya had never seen anything so mesmerizing and beautiful before and she kept watching the woman, her Queen with her eyes narrowed even though it had started to sting now. Her eyes turned red and tears escaped them but she continued to admire the view in front of her, focusing more on the ethereal sight rather than on her pain.

Her lips curved up in joy while her heart was exceptionally at peace. All her worries and her fears vanished and her mind and heart were calm, tranquil even. Not one sound left her lips as she kept staring at her Goddess, completely lost in the divine sight she was bestowed upon.

But the next moment, she heard her Goddess sigh lightly and the light in the room reduced significantly, making it less painful for her.

"Why are you here, child? Did I not warn you to not enter the room until I ask you to?" Diana admonished her softly. Even though she was scolding her, Nadya realized that her Goddess was anything but angry. Her Goddess was only disappointed and this affected and saddened her greatly. She could not stop the guilt from engulfing her as she lowered her eyes immediately.

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. If not for the urgency in the situation, I would not have entered the room without your permission."

"What happened, dear?"

Diana still had her eyes closed as continued to gather all her mana. She had sensed Nadya the moment she had entered the room. It surprised her to see her guard here when she had ordered them to not disturb her. But she also knew that if not for the seriousness of the situation, Nadya would never have entered her chamber, let alone disturb her.

"Your Majesty, although I do not know the details, it concerns the lives of your children. We have a message from the Underworld, Your Majesty."

As soon as the woman inside the halo heard Nadya's words, her eyes snapped open and the luminescence around her vanished, plunging the room into absolute darkness.