The Ancient Prophecy Ch. 12b

All the things she had done for him... All the gifts she had given him willingly... were about to be defeated by the ultimate gift of godhood...

There was no greater betrayal in this side of Paradise. All the hope she had been building up for years suddenly crumbled to dust.

And then there was hope, joy, and happiness, all springing toward her, all at once.

He had just forfeit the gift of divinity!

And he had just proposed her, right before his eyes!

There were a few moments in her life where she couldn't say anything. This was one of such moment.

Her mouth gaped, yet no words came out. She looked right into his eyes with confusion and unbelief mixed together. But in his gaze she could find no lies. Just an honest, sincere, and loving look she craved so much. And a mischievous look, too.

"This is the part where you fall into my arms and cry," Atrus whispered, grinning.

And she did. She just crushed into his waiting arms and embraced him so tightly that it would have cost him a few broken ribs had be still been a mortal.

"I love you too!" she cried. "I... I never thought... You... you just let go of your godhood... j...just for me?"

"Don't let it go over your head, because you're not the only reason," he teased her mercilessly. "But you can say that you're the deciding factor."

She gave him an annoyed look. "You just never change, do you?"

"Not until death do us part," he replied. "So, what's the reply?"

And she gave him a warm smile. "Of course I'll marry you, silly!"

Then everything went bright.

The battle of the Emerald Tower was over.

A year and a half later...

"Honey, where is the ground karanja root?!"

"Inside the second cupboard from the door!"

"Would it explode if I put some in the soup?"

"NO!!"

Adriana went back to her cooking, grumbling. How could he be so mean if he would scold her even worse when she blew up the kitchen again? She looked through the recipe carefully, just to make sure she didn't miss a thing and had to endure Atrus' teasing again. This was just one of many recipes Maya had provided her just before her wedding earlier that week.

Talking about the wedding, it had been marvelous! That was the grandest wedding she had ever seen in the face of the land, not that she had been going to many weddings in her life. It was fitting, though. As two of the most important people in the realm, and heroes of the war, King Roberto and Princess Maya – it still felt silly for her to refer to Maya as a princess... or even a queen – deserved no less. The grand reception was held in Castle Stromgarde, and the king immediately decreed huge parties to be held throughout the land at his expense. Citizens, peasants, and ambassadors from neighboring lands all flocked to Aragon, paying homage to the new monarchs and reveling in the bountiful food and drinks served there.

And then there was the dancing ground...

Anna grinned to herself as the memory came back. She had been marveled to see King Roberto and Maya dancing gracefully to the music, with Roberto's usual composed and knightly conduct forming a perfect union with Maya's gentle and graceful manner. And then there were Hawk and Aurelia, or perhaps Queen Aurelia of Elom, as she was known now. The legend of the Elven love for art and music came true as the young Elven queen gracefully led the panicking knight for some exhausting, yet fulfilling rounds around the dance floor. She was sure that after the entire comical ordeal, Hawk would definitely try to convince Commander White Lion to include dancing lessons in the training for knighthood.

She was never a good dancer herself, being raised in a monastery and having been a traveler almost all her life, yet there was always Atrus, ever skillful and resourceful. She had never known that Atrus knew how to dance, and knew how to do it well, too. She had some rounds around the room, although dancing with Atrus would normally involve enduring his teasing remarks on her poor skills and stepping onto his shoes enough times to make some serious bruises that would last for days.

Some people around the court would sometimes come to her and asked why she would endure living with him. With his attitude, they perceived he would make a terrible husband. She knew, though, that they were wrong. They did not understand him.

As Atrus suddenly walked into the kitchen, Anna quickly brushed away the thought and greeted him. "How's Baron Atrus doing with the state affairs?" Atrus had been handling a lot of civil work since their return to Castle White Lion in Blackwell.

"All is well, baroness," Atrus replied lightly, and then grinned. "What's cooking?"

"It's a secret," Anna replied. "Don't worry, this will give you the worst stomachache ever. This will make the last night pie the gourmet's choicest."

"Ah, indeed. It's always good to know what to expect in advance."

Anna gratefully accepted the full kiss on the lips he was giving her. After the second contact, she abandoned all her cooking utensils and embraced him tightly. How she hungered for his touch. They had been living together ever since, trying to understand each other better each day, yet he kept on making her wanting for more. The more she learned of this man, the more her love grew.

He was a friend, an ally, and now, her fiancée.

They had planned to get married by the end of the harvest year, before winter came. Despite their best effort to keep the date secret, the news was already spreading throughout the land. King Roberto himself had vowed that this upcoming wedding would make his wedding look puny. The ambassadors from the two lands had promised that Queen Aurelia and Hawk, rulers of Elom, and the Dwarven king along with Holgreb, his royal advisor, would be present. Calem, still busy overseeing the rebuilding of the Temple of the Magi, also vowed to be there, along with Falstoff and Lynn, who were now sharing a small estate near the temple. Lynn had also arranged to have the host of Fairies, now coming out of their isolation in Heaven and living among the people, come and sing for the wedding.

Anna couldn't wait to see her friends again. Beyond that, however, she couldn't wait to finally be his forever.

"It has been so long since that fateful day," she whispered softly as she snuggled in Atrus' arms, "and I still can't believe we're finally together."

"We have a long history to tell to our children," Atrus replied.

Anna looked at him lovingly. "How many do you want, dearest?"

"As many as it pleases you, my lady."

Anna chuckled lightly, then snuggled back. "Thank you, Atrus... for taking away my nightmare."

"And thank you to you, too, Anna..." Atrus said, "for being there when I fulfilled my destiny..."

Epilogue

And the history of the land continued...

Atrus White Lion and Adriana Freesland finally got married in the same year. The wedding for the two heroes of the war was held in the Castle White Lion's courtyard, attended by their closest friends, government officials, and virtually the people of the land, who came by the thousands. The tearful moment as the groom and the bride finally confirmed their loyalty to each other would be burned on everyone's memory for generations to come.

The two heroes spent a short time serving as royal advisors and ruler of the Southern Aragon, before relinquishing the title back to the throne of Aragon, after the Southern Aragon area was sufficiently rebuilt. Then Atrus and Anna retreated to the wilds, taking shelter in the small hut Master Falagor left inside the forest of Whitewater. Anna would sometimes donate her time to the Temple of Lycra, still serving as the High Priestess of the Order of Lycra. They had some children together, and they bore the image of their parents, and would contribute themselves to the good of the kingdoms of the realm.

King Roberto and Queen Maya ruled the kingdom of Aragon for many years, restoring order and prosperity to the people. They would forever be remembered as the benevolent rulers of the land, and people would sing of their name for years to come.

Queen Aurelia of the Elves and her human prince, Captain Hawk of Aragon, were the most celebrated rulers of Elom. Their marriage cemented the alliance of the Humans and the Elven people. Both nations vowed to live and coexist together in peace. The Elven people agreed to share their rich art and culture if the Humans stopped clearing forests like crazy and stealing their maidens.

Holgreb served as the royal advisor on war affairs to the court of the Dwarven kingdom of Seraphim. With peace prospering in the land, however, he had been out of work for a while, but the old Dwarf would spend most of his time as an ambassador to Aragon or Elom, sometimes visiting just to see old friends and allies. His old occupation as a former barbarian leader, however, somehow convinced the existing barbarian tribes or bandit groups to quit their adventurous professions and rejoin the society again. He continued to serve as the watchman of the land, as too his followers after him.

Lynn and Falstoff lived a rather reclusive life, probably since Falstoff still felt the demonic blood from his father flowing in his veins. Being a hero, however, had liberated him from the guilt of having to battle Atrus in that fateful day. He had helped greatly in Lynn's grand project of integrating the Fairy society to the realm. The Fairies had finally agreed to leave their homeland in Heaven and live among the Humans, the Elves and the Dwarves, working together for the future. Lynn would spend the rest of her free time with Queen Maya, where they would go to quiet places and chat like little girls. Falstoff would occasionally visit Atrus and Anna in the woods. He loved to hold duels with the two, and particularly enjoyed defeating and humiliating Anna in mock battles. Must be in their blood...

Calem devoted his life to the rebuilding of the Temple of the Magi. True to his words, King Roberto had ordered the rebuilding of the temple, with full blessings and support from Elom and Seraphim. Thousands of people from all races worked together in what would be the grandest building project ever attempted in the realm. The new Temple of the Magi, located on a hill north of Stromgarde, was a magnificent tower that reached for the sky, surrounded by smaller towers around it. Just as Hawk had once envisioned, the towers were lined with crystal, so that the temple would reflect the sunray during the day and the stars during the night. And finally, after so many years of isolation and abandonment, the wizards rejoined the society. The old mage's dream was finally fulfilled.

Inside the tower was the biggest library the realm had ever known. Under King Roberto's order, scholars of the land wrote the full history of the realm and the war, keeping full records of what had transpired through those past years. The library would serve as a reminder for generations to come on what had been gained and what could have been lost.

Commander White Lion served for some time in the kingdom's court, but retired from duty soon after. He was a content man, grateful to witness the salvation of the land from the start until the very end.

No one had ever seen Priestess Ursula after the war. Legends said that she remained in the Northern Continent, living in a giant crystal tower and keeping a constant vigil of the land.

No one had ever seen, or would ever want to see, Daemon, the Prince of Darkness. Legends said that during the final battle he was banished him to a location described by the mages as 'the place where the sun refuses to shine'. It was also said that a certain Lich kept him company and guarded the realm should he ever attempt to return.

But as one would say, the history would repeat itself.

Generations after generations would pass.

The story of the war forgotten.

Alliances and peace treaties dissolved.

Distrust and hatred rooted.

Dissidents and unrest took hold.

War raged across the land.

The realm of Lore would once again fall into chaos.

Only then would an insane man start screaming words upon words of no significance, walking the abandoned streets and wailing unendingly...

...speaking of the coming of the Champion of the Guardian.

The new Ancient Prophecy...

-- The End --

(This time it's for real...)

* * * *

It's over!! Hurray!!

If I have a trumpet right now, I would have woken up the whole neighborhood.

The story has been going for almost three years by now! What was thought to be a 1-chapter story has turned into a 12++ chapter saga. And I know who the culprits are.

You!

Without you, the story will never be like this. I want to thank all of you who have read the story and send comments of various types. I also want to thank all of you whom I have forced to endure the waiting moments between chapters. I know the wait is unbearable, but trust me: if you're the author, it's agonizing.

Again, thank you.

See you all, folks!

Viper