42

Chapter 42

In less than two weeks, the small castle her rebel group lived in had grown into a small town. The constant flow of new arrivals and goods had made it a necessity to construct additional buildings both for living in and for storing the vast amounts of food and clothing Nazarick was providing. Not that she had any say in what was happening anyway.

For the most part, the title of Mother was meaningless at this point. Formally, she still was the appointed ruler of the region, but in reality she made no decisions in that regard.

Muirin stood on the castle wall without any real reason to do so, just as she had done for the last few days. Today she didn't even bother to put on the mask, as there simply was no point doing so anymore.

The Apostle of War was becoming an idol for her brothers and sisters, despite her not wanting to interact with any of them, and all the administration was done by the undead serving the Emperor of Nazarick and Earan.

"There you are!" Her husband's familiar voice interrupted her contemplation. He had dropped the act of trying to mend the gap and return to what they once were, but then again, she was as much to blame for not reciprocating his efforts.

"Did you need anything?" she asked, turning her head.

"The scouts intercepted a messenger from the King."

"Why are you saying this to me?"

"Can you just not be like this for a moment?" Earan said, dragging his hand over his tired face.

"Like what?" Muirin asked with a flat tone.

"Like Nazarick's presence is personally insulting to you! If you have decided to not be responsible for this province and all the king's children then say so and I will try to find someone who would take on that responsibility."

"What do your masters want me to do?" Muirin asked, looking at the bustling town in front of her eyes. The more she wanted to deny it, the more it was becoming obvious. If they just wanted to subjugate elves, they would not be putting in the effort of sending all the resources. There simply was no reason to butter up the populace if it couldn't resist Nazarick in the first place.

"Lord Blue Planet is not demanding anything of you." Earan said and started to descend the narrow stairs leading down to the ground.

Maybe she was too harsh? Too mistrustful? If the Gods were trying to help her kind then her attitude might make them believe that the elves were not grateful for the help.

"Earan, wait." Muirin said hastily, turning around and looking down at her husband who, at this point, had descended halfway down the stairs "I am sorry. If my help is needed, please point the way."

Her husband stopped and looked up with a distrustful gaze. "Changed your mind?"

"Yes. If it helps our kind, I will fully cooperate with your masters."

"We need to go meet this messenger then. The scouts are holding him at the outskirts of the city."

Muirin nodded and quickly descended the stairs. Earan extended his hand to help her with the last few steps, not that she needed it, but he always did that when they attended events together or even when he happened to be with her in their home.

Gracefully, she accepted his hand that was once smooth, unburdened by the hardships of the simple men. Now it felt rough, grinded by the time and harsh life. Her hand lingered in his with neither of them wanting to let go first.

With a, "Thank you" she withdrew her hand and followed Earan. The walk towards the edge of the town was quick.

Two of Lord Peros' chosen stood by each side of a visibly shaking elf dressed in the official armor of the Elf Kingdom military.

"Why have you come?" Muirin asked.

"H-his majesty sends an invitation to his daughter. H-he expects an answer." The elf said, handing a sealed letter.

"An answer! Has that monster lost all reason?" Muirin said, snatching the letter out of the elf's hand.

"H-his majesty i-insists on i-inviting his daughter to t-talk with him."

"We will present her with the letter." Earan said and then addressed two assassins, "Treat him to dinner and a drink while we await the answer."

The messenger looked at him as if expecting some cruel punchline and when there was none, he quietly leaned forward, almost whispering,

"There is another letter addressed to the one from the Monster Empire. Can I trust you will deliver it?"

"You have my word that Lord Blue Planet will receive it."

The visible relief of the messenger practically screamed which of the letters was more important. Even without opening it, Earan could guess that there was some dissent among the leadership of the Elf Kingdom and the letter was an attempt to switch sides before it was too late.

Ultimately, it wasn't his decision to make so there was no point worrying about it. With a quick message to Lord Blue Planet and Lady Zesshi, he and Muirin walked back to the castle.

A meeting would be held in the castle's conference room as soon as everyone was gathered.

The fact that Earan decided to treat the messenger much better than anyone would expect surprised her. Of course, the man was just a pawn and was not responsible for the King's crimes but considering how ruthless her husband had been towards the opposition, she expected the messenger to be executed.

Even with their brisk pace, they were last to arrive. Lord Blue Planet sat at the end of the table, with the Apostle sitting beside him. One of the liches also was present, as the direct representative of the Emperor himself.

Earan quickly presented both letters to Blue Planet and Zesshi respectively, and then sat down beside Muirin.

There was no need to even read the letter Zesshi received as she trembled in sheer anger when she read it.

"That sick fuck thinks I will just go to him and be happy for the opportunity!?" Zesshi exclaimed and tossed the letter away.

Blue Planet just ignored her outburst and opened the letter meant for him, quickly reading through the contents of it.

"Looks like the head of the army and the prime minister wish to offer surrender in exchange for the removal of the King and the assurance that the elven people are not to pay for their King's crimes. Earan, have you met general Rosdunne or prime minister Ailpein?"

"No, my lord."

"Both are spineless cowards doing everything the King demands." Muirin said with scorn but after a moment added "Regrettable, but I understand they have no choice but to obey."

"Thank you for your input, Miss Muirin. Zesshi, you are in charge of dealing with the Elf King. What is your opinion?" Blue planet said.

"We should ask mother."

"Me? But I…"

"Not you. My mother, Lady Bukuma!"

"Mmm, yes, I think Buku's input would be best in this situation."

"Who is this Buku?" Muirin whispered to her husband.

"Lady Bukuma is the Goddess of War. Lady Zesshi's adoptive mother. When she arrives, show proper respect!" he whispered back with an expression that left no room for arguing.

The dark void of the gate appeared seconds later, with everyone besides Blue Planet and Muirin standing up. Earan grabbed her and pulled her to her feet.

"Do not anger her!" he whispered. Muirin quickly nodded. If Zesshi was any indication then it was likely that the Goddess herself was not the calmest and the most patient being either.

The moment a tall elven woman clad in dark plate armor stepped through, Earan bowed. Not wanting to find out what happens if she did anything wrong, Muirin followed his example. As Lord Blue Planet radiated warm pleasant energy around him, the Goddess of War exuded authority and bloodthirst.

"At ease." Buku said, approaching Zesshi and ruffling the hair on her head in a playful way. "Ready to show the Elf King what Nazarick does to garbage like him?"

"Yes, mom. I can't wait."

"Good." she said, taking the nearest free seat. " Let's skip the formalities and sit down, shall we?"

Buku quickly took out a folder from her inventory and slid it over to Planet.

"Ainz and Ulbert prepared a plan; if you want to follow it, of course."

"I trust the treatment of elves will be no different than the other Empire's citizens?"

"Of course. The plan is more on the administrative side and what to do with the Slane Theocracy's border. Who remains as the ruler of the region is fully on you. Zesshi and I will take care of the Elf King and put the word to the remaining leadership to surrender to you."

"That's good. Earan, Muirin, is it ok to make you two the current representatives of your people?"

"Of course, my Lord; I will carry out your will." Earan said eagerly.

Muirin, however, hesitated. 'If I agree, I serve Nazrick fully. But they are taking over, either way, no matter what I or anyone else does.'

"Muirin?" Earan nudged her.

"Yes, Lord Blue Planet, I agree."

"Then it's settled. Emperor Ainz will speak with you both after the takeover." Lady Buku said to them while standing up, and she then turned to her daughter. "Let's go, the carriage is already waiting outside."

Could it be that the monster would finally get his deserved punishment? Judging by what the Apostle was capable of, the Goddess' power likely went beyond what she could imagine. The only thing Muirin could pray for was that too many innocents would not get hurt in the upcoming battle.

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There were only twenty she could trust, twenty of the most devoted to their oaths. Remedios looked at the small group gathered at the lounge of her mansion. If they acted fast enough, they could exorcise whatever demon or delusions had taken over the Queen and steer Roble back to the righteous path.

Most of them were from the older generation, ranging from being in their thirties to their late forties. These paladins were ones that had faced the monsters countless times and emerged victorious. Even her own mentor, Acilia, agreed that the Queen needed to be stopped when Remedios approached her.

Remedios walked in front of the plate-clad figures standing in attention, their faces lit with conviction. She had made the preparations; made sure that none of Gustav's lap dogs were anywhere near the royal castle and that most of the royal guards stationed were from the more faithful southern provinces. The last remaining task was the speech of encouragement.

"Today we will face the greatest challenge. Today we have to stand against those we loved the most. Both Queen Calca and High Priestess Kelart have lost their faith. We will make them see the truth. Today we set our homeland on the proper path again!"

"We stand with you Grand Master!" The group responded in unison and saluted. Righteous fury coloured their visages; they were the embodiments of warriors ready to embark on the holiest of crusades.

Remedios glanced over their determination filled faces and continued, "Everyone with me. Remember the plan. The Queen and Priestess are to be captured alive. Let Gods decide their fates."

Going against her beloved Queen and her own sister was not an easy decision to make, but her most trusted friends shared her sentiment and had gathered in secret by her request after she lost the position of the Paladin Grandmaster. The plan was rather simple; capture Queen and High Priestess and declare martial law until the possession could be exorcised from them. If it turns out to be an impossible task, then make sure Calca's older brother Caspon takes the throne and the heretics are imprisoned until they return to the true faith.

The streets were rather empty at this time of day, but even the few citizens they met on their way looked at the paladins with reverence. The guards at the castle entrance let them pass without questioning their motives, the same as the next few sets of guards. The only real challenge would be the heretics and the angel guarding the Queen, a horrible but necessary sacrifice to set the being free from the shackles of the monsters, even if it meant killing it.

The last set of guards blocked the entrance,

"HALT! The Queen does not wish to be disturbed." Two paladins rushed past her, knocking the guards out. Remedios pushed the doors open and entered the throne room.

"Remedios, what is the meaning of this?" Calca asked as the angel moved between her and the group of paladins.

"I am sorry, my Queen, but I cannot just watch your descent into these heretical ways. We will remove the demons from you!"

"Have you lost your mind?" Kelart shouted at her sister and immediately cast a shield on herself and Calca while the angel assumed a defensive position.

"Dear sister, it is not me who has lost my mind. I just follow what our faith dictates me to do."

"Remedios, this is treason! Stop this at once!" Calca shouted.

In response, Remedios raised her sword and charged the angel with her fellow paladins. Even though the virtue of purity was a tier six summon, its main purpose was to heal and protect, thus it could only shield her two charges against the relentless assault of the attackers.

Piece by piece it was chipped away from its marble form as the angel wailed in pain.

"Please stop, I beg of you!" Calca shouted once again with tears forming in her eyes, but her pleas mostly fell on deaf ears. Just three out of twenty-one attackers stepped back in horror of the act they were committing.

Despite Remedios's weapon being made to cause damage to evil beings, her blunt strength chipped away at the angel, blow by blow, even without her abilities used.

Calca and Kelart desperately tried to buff and heal the angel but were interrupted by paladins attacking them. They had the means to defend themselves but no way to attack. As holy casters, none of their spells would affect the paladins who wielded the light themselves. The situation was growing dire.

'My God, please help us!' She pleaded in her thoughts.

The last blow from Remedios made the angel fall to the grounds, with parts of it shattering. Calca despaired.

'Emperor, please help us!' She pleaded, her vision blurring with tears. To be attacked by one who once was one of her closest friends was too much to bear.

{ Do not worry child, Emperor Ainz and I are watching over you. } A loud presence rang in her mind just as a figure now stood in front of her spreading her six wings and filling the room with her aura.

The paladins seeing the six-winged angel took a step back shocked. Eleleth's aura was so overwhelming that few started to weep from the guilt of attacking an angel. Only Remedios didn't lose her composure and charged the angel in front of her.

Elelth casually grabbed the sword with her plated glove and struck Remedios with the back of her other hand. The stubborn paladin landed on the hard, stone floor and spit out a few of her now broken teeth.

"What a pitiful creature you are, Remedios Custodio. There is only one way to show the error of your ways."

"You serve monsters! You have fallen." Remedios spat back.

Eleleth smiled, her expression practically dripping with malice, as the whole room was pushed into a vision.

Calca remembered this vision well and glanced over to Kelart, who watched the events unfold with much less shock than expected, but then again, she too, already knew that the six great were not real Gods.

A sense of justice filled her heart as she saw the shocked faces of her attackers. They were forced to know the truth just like she was, but the vision didn't stop where it did previously; five new figures appeared, the new Gods. Each accepted their path towards true divinity, growing beyond the borders of mortality.

"That can't be!" One of the paladins exclaimed.

Calca knew even they couldn't deny the truth. The vision went on as three new figures joined them also accepting their godhood. The vision ended with the union of the God of Death and the Goddess of Love and the birth of being far surpassing even the greatest of Gods.

The young Queen blinked as her vision returned back to the throne room. There was no doubt in her mind that the kneeling figures had accepted the truth. All but one.

"LIES! I will not be convinced by your lies, you foul creature!" Remedios raved.

"A roach skittering away from the light. A truly pathetic, worthless creature, nothing more." Eleleth remarked and then pointed her finger at her. "The people should know about the crimes of this one."

"You will not…"

"SILENCE!" Eeleeth shouted using her full voice. "When a child misbehaves, it should be disciplined. Your Queen will know how to punish you."

With a motion of her hand, Eleleth repaired the broken angel just as another one appeared beside the virtue of purity. This one had four wings and a lion's head.

{ Your God protects you. Make her punishment public. } Elelth's gentle voice sounded in Calca's mind as Eleleth was gone from the throne room.

The new angel with a lion's head stepped between her and the kneeling paladins. Remedios tried to stand up but, to the Queen's surprise, was quickly pushed back to the ground by other paladins as Acilia spoke.

"My Queen, we have done the unforgivable. We will accept any punishment you deem fit."

"Kelart, go get the palace guard." she said to her friend, and then turned her attention to the paladins. "Do you understand what the angel showed you all?"

The plate-clad figures looked at each other, reaching a silent understanding and motioning for Acilia as the second in seniority to speak for them.

"We do, your highness. Our religion is false. These angels follow the true Gods. We…"

"You heretics shall all burn. You monster loving…" Remedios shouted, straining against the four of her comrades holding her down, using all their might to hold the former paladin grandmaster in place. But just as she almost broke free, the lion-headed angel hit her with the shield, knocking her out.

"We understand now. I understand." Acilia paused looking down and added with a broken voice, "I have done another unforgivable deed."

"What else have you done?" Calca asked.

"I disowned my daughter for what happened when she fought Remedios."

"You what?" Calca stared at the paladin in disbelief. No wonder Neia seemed so distraught. As if things couldn't get any worse… There was only one way to fix this. "You all know who the true Gods are. As for your atonement, you will make a pilgrimage to the very heart of Nazarick and seek forgiveness from the Apostles of the New Gods. Return with a signed letter from any of them and your crimes will be forgiven."

Once all the paladins swore to carry out her verdict and the palace guards had stripped Remedios out of her enchanted armor and dragged her to the prison cell, Calca sat down on the throne and asked her friend.

"What should we do about your sister?"

Kelart's expression changed to cold scorn. "She is beyond reason. If the vision didn't convince her, nothing will. Make her punishment as public as possible, make paladins drag her through the streets in chains, and let people know what she did."

"Kelart…"

"I know she is my sister, but that doesn't change the fact that she attacked you and almost destroyed an angel God has gifted to you. At least the rest of them came to their senses, especially Neia's mother."

"Make preparations then. I will summon Gustav and explain the situation. Remedios is to be removed from the paladin order anyway."

She should have seen this earlier. All the signs were there that Remedios was too fanatical and too stubborn to change. What once was her close friend, now would be dragged through the streets like a common criminal.

'If only I had done something earlier. Please forgive me, Remedios, for what you became because of my inaction.'

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When Lia first arrived at Nazarick's capital, she didn't expect to have such a long waiting time to even get her chance to present herself as a potential servant of the New Gods. Even getting a position on the waiting list took hours to accomplish, as people from all over the empire had arrived to get their chance even though the adventurer guild was handling the recruitment in other cities too. If she had to guess, it had something to do with the fact that the Gods themselves resided in the Capital.

With her appointment two weeks away, she had plenty of time to explore the city. Finding a church wasn't particularly hard, as they were all over the palace and, best of all, each was made to accept the followers of all New Gods, not just a specific one.

To see an angel was a surreal experience as well. Each church had one as the head healer. These churches, in general, were more of gathering places to receive healing and guidance, not perform long and tedious sermons. Anyone could just come in and recite a prayer before the statues of the Gods or just ask questions to the summons who worked there. From the few churches she visited, it became rather obvious that most lacked actual followers of Gods to run them and only summons were present.

Overall, the city was grand and Lia managed to get lost more than once. She had already experienced unprecedented levels of safety in large cities once Nazarick took over, so wandering around the smaller side streets only fueled her sense of adventure, without the worry of relying on her friends to get out of tricky situations.

But the discovery that trumped her the most was the countless job opportunities. The capital city was littered with taverns and, for a bard like her, to perform and earn money was easier than ever. Although most of the tavern owners were dwarves, a lot of elves also worked as bar keepers or tavern maids.

A lot of them were around and it finally broke away her need to hide her true nature. On the fifth day of performing, she took her hat off when she bowed to the ovations after her performance. Despite the impulsive action and the fear following it, the reception was positive.

Of course, there were few occupations she would prefer her kind didn't take, but considering what type of work far too many were forced into as slaves, the appearance of elven-run brothels was not that surprising.

One day after her performance, she even talked with one of the prostitutes who had given her a generous tip after Lia sang an elven folk song. The girl was happy with her newfound freedom and the pay was good so she just continued doing what she was used to anyway.

Getting curious, Lia asked if the girl wasn't afraid to be abused, but she laughed it off, saying that since the brothels were legal and the abusive clients were taken care of by the guards, her work was safe compared to how it was when she was just a property.

Like many of her kind, the girl shared the desire to one day visit her homeland in hopes of finding out what had happened to her family, but that was just a distant wish for now.

The days spent wandering around the city and evenings performing almost made her forget her real goal. But her trusty spiritual companions insistently reminded her that the time to visit the adventurer guild had come. With no reason to hide her elven features, she stashed her hat inside her backpack and went to her meeting.

Of course, the guild building was packed to the brim, and getting inside was a challenge by itself. Her smaller frame helped her to nimbly navigate through the crowd and, soon enough, Lia was inside the office of a pleasantly smiling human lady.

"Have you already thought about which God you wish to follow?" she asked.

"I wish to join the sect of the God of Nature."

The lady just smiled knowingly. "Most elves choose Lord Blue Planet as their patron God. I see you are a platinum-ranked adventurer Lia. If you are eager to help your God right away, there is an ongoing volunteer mission."

"I am not really combat-oriented. As a bard, I am a support."

"Could you please elaborate? Bards as adventurers are rather unusual."

Lia unstrapped her lute from her backpack and started to play a simple melody with her friends showing up as a swarm of floating balls of light.

"These are my friends and allies. They can possess people temporarily, either buffing their abilities or, in case of enemies, lowering abilities significantly."

"My, that's an unusual talent. But the offer still stands if you want to hear it out."

"I guess. I am here to serve God."

"Good. Lord Blue Planet is liberating the Elf Country at the moment and needs volunteers who could distribute the food and clothing to the local populace. As an elf, you would be more trusted than other species."

Her homeland. Were her parents even alive? Lia hadn't seen them for many years. But they were willing to sell her out to be impregnated by the King because of her talent. They were willing to sell out their own child. Lia shuddered in anger at the memory.

"Miss Lia?"

"Sorry I… I don't think I want to return there."

"I can assure you that you would not be forced into a combat situation."

"I understand. I just…" Was she such a coward as to not even return to her homeland? She had the means to defend herself after all. If by a strange coincidence, she was about to meet her parents again, her friends would protect her. Even living the spoiled life of a noble, she knew how dire the situation was in the Elf Country. Her father, for all his faults, never shied away from showing her how things were and didn't shelter her from the harshness of the world too much. "You know what? I agree. My people need help and if I can help, I will."

"That's wonderful." The woman said and quickly scribbled a few notes on a document. "Here. This will let you enter the imperial castle grounds. The guards will guide you to the planning area. Oh, do you have any easy-to-consume food on you?"

"No, I was eating in taverns and haven't resupplied yet."

"Then I will write you a coupon to get two days' worth of meals packed. Things can get hectic around the preparation area and it's better to have an extra portion with you than to go without eating for a day."

"Thank you. Should I just go to the castle gates and present the note?"

"Yes, you are marked as an official follower of Lord Blue Planet and can enter the castle grounds while the mission is ongoing. Unfortunately, the Apostle of Life and Death is unable to meet you in person, but once the Apostle of Nature is chosen, then I'm sure you will have a chance to talk to whoever takes the position."

Getting the rations was another adventure by itself in the overly packed guild lounge, but it was manageable. Once she was outside, Lia took a deep breath. She was going home. After all these years, she was going home. Fate surely worked in strange ways.

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Remedios woke up in a dark prison cell, with only a small barred window at the very top of the cell giving the place any light. Her head and jaw hurt like hell. Carefully, she sat up, observing her surroundings. Even her armor was gone. The bastards had taken away her armor, leaving her dressed in a simple silk shirt and pants.

'I failed. They failed me. They believed the lies of that fallen angel!'

Remedios touched the side of her head, feeling the traces of dried blood. Knowing that even prison would not be warded against holy magic, she quickly cast a healing spell, taking away the intense pain.

The small cell clearly was meant for common criminals. They didn't even have the courtesy to put her in a cell meant for someone of her stature. With a scowl, she leaped up and rattled the heavy metal door. Of course, it would be locked. Applying all her strength, she tried to break it open, but the door didn't budge.

"Prisoner, stop." Someone said from the other side.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Everyone knows who you are, traitor. Step away from the door or we are sending in paladins!"

'Traitor!' No, they were the ones who betrayed everything Roble stood for. She was the only one sane enough to see it. The rest of the world had gone mad!

The hours ticked by and reality started to set in. There was no clear way out of the current situation. With nothing better to do, Remedios could only pray, meditate and train in the narrow space that was her cell.

In the evening, a guard came with a meal, pushing a plate through the narrow opening in the middle of the door. Before she could take the plate, the guard pushed it too far and the plate fell to the ground, spilling the already poor contents on the dirty stone floor.

"There you go." he said, and walked off.

'Bastard! They think they can break me. I will persevere against all adversity. The Gods will guide my path.'

Now they were treating her like some animal. The rot of the monster empire was spreading and she was the only one to see it.

A few days went by like this. Sleeping on an uncomfortable small bed with a linen mattress filled with straw, relieving herself in a small hole in the corner of the cell and picking food from the ground. Not even her pride could overcome the hunger for long. Worst of all, she had no means to clean herself or the one set of clothing she was wearing for the past few days.

Not that she expected her sister to visit, but the wish of being relieved from this prison crept in. The training and prayers didn't distract her as much as they did on the first day.

Meditation got harder and harder as well. The thoughts got more invasive.

'What if I overreacted? Am I a traitor? Why are the Gods not helping me? Could it be that the vision the fallen angel showed was actually true?'

"It's all their fault. Why did they believe the lies!" Remedios exclaimed in frustration.

"Shut up!" the guard shouted from outside the cell.

'To hell with you all!'

With another two days spent in the cell, Remedios started to get desperate for a way out. Her prayers got more desperate, begging the old Gods to help her, to have a way out of this cell.

On the same day, the cell door was finally opened and a few paladins came in.

"Finally! I knew…"

"Stand up and do not move, prisoner." the one she recognized as Gidden said in an authoritative tone.

"What? Are you.."

"I will not repeat myself, prisoner!"

'They are not here to set me free!'

If the whole scene wasn't humiliating enough, they put heavy mithril chains around her wrists and ankles. One of the paladins even wrinkled his nose.

Like some lowlife, they dragged her outside. A third of the paladin order stood there with a large crowd of people. On a small podium stood Queen Calca, her sister, and Gustav.

'No! They are not doing this! They cannot.'

Unceremoniously, she was dragged onto the podium.

"My Queen, Kelart, you cannot do this to me."

"Silence, Remedios Custodio." Gustav said. "You are brought here today to answer for your crimes."

"I did what I must."

The paladin grandmaster didn't listen to her and just went on. "For trying to usurp the crown and kill our beloved queen, you are discharged from the paladin order. Additionally, for your shameful actions, the title of the white color is no longer yours. Remedios Custodio, you are to be shown to the people of the Holy Kingdom of Roble as the traitor who attempted to end Queen's life and then returned to your cell where you will remain until your last breath. May the four have mercy on you."

"No!" she shouted, straining against the chains held by several paladins, but it was to no avail.

"Men, start the walk of shame!" Gustav said.

"NO! WAIT!" Remedios raged as she was dragged off the podium to the pavement. She tripped and fell to her knee, but the ones holding her chains didn't stop as she was dragged along.

The crowd watched her with disgust.

"Traitor!"

"Monster!"

People shouted from the crowd, and some tried to spit on her as she was dragged along. Remedios regained her footing soon enough.

'They are wrong. They are all wrong. I am not a traitor.'

Each passing minute got harder and harder to bear. No matter where she was dragged, people looked at her like she was a criminal. Children from the crowd called her a monster.

"I am not a monster. Please understand I had to do it. The Queen, she is possessed."

Then she saw them in the crowd, the twenty that were with her in the throne room. All of them were dressed in simple clothing, with regret painted on their faces. They looked at her with pity.

'I can't be wrong. I can't.' Remedios repeated in her mind like a mantra. But everyone else thought she was. Why haven't the Gods stopped this? No servant of theirs deserved such a fate.

'It can't be. The vision was a lie.'

Her feet were already bleeding as she was dragged along barefooted. It was not the pain that stung the most but the looks from her former friends. Her people. They hated her. They were disgusted by what she had done.

'Please anyone. Gods, help me.'

{ The Gods do not help roaches who hide from the light. Step in the light and accept what you have done before begging for forgiveness. }

That voice. The fallen angel spoke to her.

'I had to.'

{ Then remain covered in darkness, hated. Soon no one will remember what you once were, only what you became. }

'No!' It was too much. The tears started to stream down her face. She had attacked her friend and her sister. Two of the closest people to her. If the Gods were real, they had abandoned her now.

Unable to bear the shame, she shut herself off from the taunts and stares, walking along with closed eyes and crying.

In the end, she was back in the small cell, alone.

'I am a traitor.' was the only thought remaining on her mind

Bonus story - What once was.

With the town expanding at a rapid pace, the castle was not as packed anymore and she now had a large room by herself. Nazarick had even given her new furniture as a gift for accepting the duty to run the elven lands.

As with the many nights before, she couldn't sleep again. With the castle warm enough, Muirin put on a simple dress and went for a walk through the empty, silent corridors.

There was no goal. She just walked in circles to occupy her time and tire herself out. But the desire to sleep stubbornly didn't come.

So much had happened during these short few weeks. A God had come to her lands, together with her long-lost husband. Their relationship was still shaky, but they at least spoke to one another.

The things that happened to Earan in the Slane Theocracy, where he was taken as a slave, were just as bad as her fate as one of the King's playthings. How could she blame him for what had happened if she was just as responsible?

Lord Blue Planet had promised to use his influence and try to find out what had happened to their daughter. Why went so far for a single elf was beyond her, but if God was so kind enough to help her, she didn't want to turn it down anymore.

To see everyone having a plentiful meal and a safe, restful night had put the smile back on the once stone-cold face. To see the children the King rejected to be accepted by others gave her hope that better times were coming.

Even the cruelest of Gods would not build up hope like this, only to crush it afterward. If everyone in their Empire was safe and taken care of, she had no problems being a devout follower.

This night, however, the chill of loneliness was tormenting her particularly hard. In a moment of weakness, she entered a particular room.

"Muirin, is that you?" Earan asked sleepily, lighting the candle at his bedside.

"I am sorry to wake you up at this hour."

"Did you need anything?"

"No. I just… Would you mind if I stay with you tonight?"

Earan looked at her as if she was joking but, after a moment, he pulled the blanket aside and said.

"I don't mind."

With a quick movement of dropping her dress, she got under the covers beside her husband. Earan fell asleep just as quickly as he had awoken. But his rhythmic breath had the desired, calming effect.

Even if sleep didn't come, she was content to stay like this and listen to her husband sleeping. After a while, he turned into his sleep, grabbed her by her waist, pulled her closer, and mumbled.

"I missed you."

"And I missed you."

Feeling his body against her was not as comfortable as she had remembered. Then again, the memory was very hazy, as she had all but forgotten how it was to sleep in someone else's embrace. But it was the warm embrace that did the trick and lulled her into a calm sleep.