Aria’s Tales - Chapter 31 2.16 Unfallen The Fallen

Thousands of feet above the ground, and hidden behind the clouds, were numerous floating islands with irregular shapes. The large islands held tall and beautifully structured marble buildings that were surrounded by overgrown lush trees and vibrant flowers. Animals frolicked the area.

At the center, was a giant castle with four tall towers in each of its corners. This was the angels’ territory.

Inside the castle, a heavy atmosphere pervaded the audience chamber as the King of angels, sitting on his royal throne, donned on a gloomy look. The messenger across from him was about to beg for forgiveness – for what he was asking forgiveness for, he had no idea.

Thankfully, one of the King’s subjects pitied him. “My King, what would you have us do?” He said cautiously as he also feared for his life.

The King knitted his brows further and carefully worded his thoughts. “She is the only seraphim.”

His words got the confirmation from everyone in the room. Their heads moving up and down while some stroked their long beards along with their nodding.

“We should send her a messenger to tell her to come home.”

“The devils are not fools. They’ll kill the messenger before they get to her.”

“We’ll send a dominion then!” The angel who suggested raised his chest and felt proud at his advice.

But one of them scowled.

“We’ve lost a lot in the recent war! We can’t afford to lose another.”

“But a million dominions can’t compare to even one seraphim.”

“She’s being guarded by a dragon and the entire devil race!”

“Tsk! That Shyvva ought to remember who is superior! What is he doing making an enemy out of us?!”

“My King! We need him out first before we can get our seraphim!”

“ENOUGH!”

Suddenly, an invisible force made everyone in the room slide back. Their faces were pale as they used their own force to lessen their pain. Finally, everyone was silent – their attention had shifted to controlling their power for defence.

The King had an irritated expression while sweeping his sharp eyes to everyone in the room. His piercing gaze made them tuck their heads in fear, and coupled with his domineering force, they were drenched in cold sweat.

He was only satisfied when one of them couldn’t take the pressure anymore and fell to his knees. He abruptly took back his power, leaned back in his chair, and held his cheek with the back of his hand. His abrupt actions made everyone stumbled back and fall to their butts on the floor. Only a few were able to remain standing.

Fortunately for them, the king didn’t acknowledge their weak strength. “I’ll personally take care of Shyvva.” He continued and didn’t bother with their doubtful gazes. “Come if you want. I’m visiting Antitheus next week.” Then, he sank into his deep thoughts while a longing look appeared on his chiselled face for a split second.

His words made everyone stunned. Their mouths were hanging open and their eyes bulged. A king was visiting the enemy’s territory? He said he was visiting! Even if they wanted to believe he said it in sarcasm, he didn’t! He genuinely sounded as if he was going on a trip! What the heck?!

“My King! That is inappropriate!”

When one of them recovered from the shock and quickly protested, the rest followed. The king should not be leaving his kingdom. The king should not be visiting the enemy’s place. The king should not be so reckless even if it was for a seraphim. Should not this, should not that. Everyone even began to quote the angels’ law book until their mouths had gone dry.

But despite quoting the entire law book word for word, their king did not react. He was completely immersed in his own dreamland and not one of them could guess what it was.

Their meeting had to be adjourned as the King was not responding, but everyone had a similar goal in mind – change the king’s decision! They left with grave faces and went straight to their study, thinking of ways to convince the king from leaving.

While these angels racked their brains, the King finally woke up from his daydream. He seemed to have been left alone and didn’t notice that his subjects had reached their own consensus and ended the meeting by themselves. All the while he was daydreaming.

This situation made him not know whether to laugh or cry. Should he scold them for disrespecting him their own king, or laugh at their silliness? In the end, his face held a wry smile.

“Selyph, are you coming with me?”

He called out to the person behind him.

Since the back of the chair he was sitting on was about twenty feet tall, no one noticed the person behind it who had been listening to their meeting. The King heard silk clothing being dragged as the person behind him appeared by his side.

The person was a beautiful woman with the same hair and eye colour as his – light blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Speaking of her eyes, it resembled the king’s. She was also visibly younger than him.

“Of course I am. Anhel, you better not stop me.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously. She showed no indication of the proper respect needed when facing the monarch.

Anhel’s heart was filled with grief once again. “Call me father will you?”

His request only got him a glare in response.

“Selyph honey~ I know I was wrong. I promise to make up for it okay?” He was the wisest man in the kingdom, but right at this moment, he was stumped because he didn’t know what else to say.

Selyph did not calm down. With pursed lips, she glared even colder at her father. “If it weren’t for you, how would I have the courage to leave her behind! Look what her own biological father did to her!” As she said this, her emotions went unstable and bits of rocks from the floor floated up. “Had I known when I met him earlier, I’d have personally beat him ’till he was black and blue!!” There were now larger rocks floating with the small ones.

Anhel panicked upon seeing her daughter descending into rage. “Yes yes yes, it was all daddy’s fault. Please calm down, okay? I won’t stop you from seeing her! You heard my words earlier, didn’t you? I’ll personally take you there!” His promise finally calmed her down. The floating rocks all fell to the floor with a thud.

“Besides, she’s my granddaughter and the only seraphim of the race! I’m more than willing to visit her in order to meet her.” He added along with his sigh of relief.

Selyph eyed him suspiciously. It couldn’t be helped that she could no longer trust her father. He had forbidden her from leaving the kingdom after finding out that she had a relationship with a mere chief of a town. She was his only princess! A mere chief could definitely not get his approval. What Anhel didn’t know was that he had imprisoned Selyph right after she had given birth to Sevianna.

This was why Selyph was thoroughly depressed at not having to be there to see her own child grow up. In her depressed state, she hadn’t believed in her father’s promise of lifting her ban sooner or later. She finally escaped the palace after 18 years!

And that was three days ago when she reunited with the man she once loved.

Yet, when they reunited, she didn’t get to meet her daughter. So she came back to Angelus, the angel’s kingdom, and wreaked havoc in the main castle. Shouting curses at her father for not giving her the chance to become a good mother.

Only then did Anhel knew that he had a granddaughter. He immediately took back her ban and sent people to investigate his grandchild’s whereabouts. This was his granddaughter! It may sound ridiculous but all three of his sons had only given him grandsons. This was his only granddaughter ah! Only! He had to repeat these words to express his incredibly jovial mood.

And to add to his already happy heart, he got the message of the newborn seraphim. Lo and behold, he found out that it was his granddaughter! This time, he didn’t know how to express how proud he was. He didn’t even hesitate when he decided to visit her personally to Antitheus rather than making her come all the way to Angelus.

“Sevianna is in Antitheus. Are you sure you’re going there?” Selyph was doubtful as well. Even she thought it was inappropriate for the two opposing powers to meet just like that.

Anhel raised his eyebrows while his eyes showed a rare sign playfulness. He waved his hand nonchalantly. “Do you even know how the first war between us came about?” As he thought about it, a wry smile appeared.

Selyph shook her head. Then, she realized that the true reason for the war was never disclosed. She looked at her father, confused.

“It is a shame that angels and devils can never find harmony with each other. But honestly, Devian was my friend worthy of my trust.” His face eased as he reminisced his time with his partner in crime.

Selyph almost stumbled in shock. After all, Devian was no other than the Demon King himself! Oh my lord! What did she just hear? Her head was a bit dizzy as she tried to process this news.

“Then … the war?” She was slightly nervous to hear the truth.

Anhel suddenly grinned. “Ah, that squabble? Hmm let’s see~ I was teasing him for falling in love with an angel so I told him to call me ‘His Majesty’ from then on?” He burst out in laughter as the memory vividly replayed in his head.

Such a trivial matter … really ended in a worldwide war? Selyph turned into a statue and felt a headache coming through. Her wonderful view of her father was mercilessly shattered as in its place was his childish self instead. They’re just a bunch of kids!

She couldn’t help but pity those angels and devils who were eagerly fighting for the top. Your kings were having their own fun in their own world! Their schemes and cunningness were all wasted!

Anhel couldn’t help but laugh again at his daughter’s stunned face. Truth be told, the first war wouldn’t have come about if angels and devils didn’t have such a strong hostility against each other. And since the angels’ pride could reach the sky, their hostility was stronger compared to devils.

Blame the ingrained pride in their bones for the cause of the war and not him, okay!?

Anhel left the still frozen Selyph and went to his study. He roughly made a letter saying he was visiting someone’s home and will be staying for at least a week. Then, he let his own private shadow guard send the message.

After he was done, he stood from his chair and stared at the only painting in his study. It was a picture of his party members when he had gone incognito as an adventurer. In the picture, his features were still that of a hot-blooded teenager. On the very left, was surprisingly a young male devil and a young female angel holding hands.

Anhel couldn’t stop the sorrow that swelled up in his heart as he looked at this unique couple. He wondered, if the female angel did not kill herself so soon after becoming a fallen, would she have won against the curse like his granddaughter, and become the actual first seraphim?

If they had used any means to stop her then, wouldn’t they still be meeting each other in secret and whacking monsters as they accept quests after quests?

He was engulfed in regret as he stood in his study, looking at the picture for a long time.

The frozen Selyph finally woke up from her stupor and noticed that she had been left alone. She stomped her way out of the audience hall murmuring curses that were directed at her father. When she reached her bedroom, she remembered Anhel’s words. She was meeting her daughter!

She bolted towards her wardrobe and immediately started packing. But she was not satisfied with her already luxurious clothes. She quickly went shopping to find “better” ones.