Finding Stardust

Emma nodded. She really liked this pegasus carriage and couldn't be happier that she got to ride it again. With Therius' help, she got into the beautiful wooden carriage decorated with gold and intricate wood carvings. Therius sat beside her. The next moment, the four pegasuses flapped their wings in unison and flew into the sky, heading east.

Xion, Atila, Avato, and the other bodyguards followed them from behind in a second carriage and several other pegasuses.

The entourage of pegasuses and two royal carriages looked charming as the dashed over the capital. Some people who saw them in the sky immediately raised their faces and stared in awe until the group disappeared.

"It must be the king or one of our princes going to the chapel of the seven gods," they muttered to each other.

"What a beautiful sight!"

Less than fifteen minutes later, Prince Licht, his bride-to-be, and his entourage had landed in front of a small building that was set in a very beautiful garden, full of flowers.

For some reason, Emma felt the plants in the garden looked too good to be real. She felt as if she was surrounded by colorful spring flowers.

As if he could read Emma's mind, Therius whispered to the girl. "I have ordered a skilled herbomancer to prepare this garden and make it beautiful for you."

"Oh, is that so?" Emma nodded in understanding. That's why she felt there was something different about this garden. It was too good!

Therius helped Emma get off the carriage, and the two of them walked toward the chapel entrance with light steps. A rain of flower petals followed their steps. Emma lifted her face and stopped walking for a moment.

This was exactly what Aeron did last night, Emma thought. She raised her right hand and received the flower petals on her palm. When it touched her skin, she felt like being touched by the finest silk.

Therius smiled when he saw Emma's face beaming. He knew that Emma would like this. Last night, he noticed how impressed Emma looked when Aeron showered the plaza with tens of thousands of flower petals.

Since he was not a herbomancer, Therius couldn't do the same to impress Emma. That was why, he immediately ordered Avato to find the best herbomancer in the capital to come to his wedding with Emma and help make the flower shower.

"Do you like it?" asked Therius.

Emma nodded. "This is great. Thank you."

She turned her head and looked around. Everything was perfect.

She sighed at the thought of how in less than a year, she would enter her second marriage. 

Emma felt Therius treated her very well. In her heart, she hoped she could return the man's feelings for her. When the time came, they would be husband and wife for real.

When they continued their steps, the small group could hear beautiful music from gods know where. It was solemn and enchanting. It was not too loud that it distracted people from the atmosphere and not too soft that it didn't catch their attention.

Xion was the last person to get off the carriage. He looked at Therius and Emma, ​​who walked hand in hand into the chapel. Avato, Atila, and Therius' guards had trailed behind them.

Xion took a deep breath. For a moment, his face turned sad, and his hands gripped his seat tightly.

He did not know when was the first time he had fallen in love with Emma Stardust, but he suddenly realized that he had been harboring feelings for her when he carried Emma out of The Dragonite's bridge when they heard the news of Kaoshin's death.

At that time, it felt like Emma's sadness became his sadness, and Xion, who had never cared for anyone before, suddenly felt that he cared deeply for Emma. He wanted to do whatever he could to alleviate her sufferings.

And last night, he finally couldn't take it anymore and vented his feelings by drinking with Aeron. He knew that the love he had for Emma must be kept hidden 'till the day he died. The girl would soon become the wife of Therius, his best friend. 

To Xion, Therius was like his own brother. He was willing to die for Therius, and he could not possibly love the girl Therius loved. That's why, after the wedding ceremony was over, Xion would immediately leave the capital and return to his lonely life on the mountain. It was for the best, he told himself.

Actually, the capital was no longer as dull and ugly as he used to think, now that Emma Stardust was here. However, he must not linger and left as soon as possible.

Hang in there, Xion, he chided himself. He only needed to bear it until the wedding ceremony was over. After that, he would go and forget about Emma Stardust.

"Sir Xion?" Avato looked back and studied Xion, who still didn't get off the carriage. 

Xion waved his hand while smiling broadly.

"Just a moment. I was just admiring the view," he quickly found an excuse.

The man immediately jumped off the carriage and shook his clothes, as if trying to smoothen the creases. Once he was satisfied, Xion walked cheerfully into the chapel.

The seven gods worshiped by the Akkadian people were seven siblings who each controlled a different element. They were gods who ruled water, fire, wind, mind, earth, time, and space.

Therius once told Emma that those so-called gods were actually just seven really powerful mages from thousands of years ago. These seven mages were so powerful that they were considered gods by the people of their time. It became a belief that was still widely held even to this day.

"I know cryomancers and hydromancers are said to be the messengers of Water God, just like herbomancers and anemancers are the messenger of the Earth God.. but what about Time and Space Gods? Do they have messengers too?" Emma asked Therius at that time.

The prince nodded. "Yes. I have met both."

Emma's eyes widen in surprise. She had heard about the Space Master from Xion, but the man said that type of mage was very rare, and he didn't even say anything about the Time Master.

"There really is Space Master and Time Master?" Emma questioned Therius. The man nodded. Emma furrowed her brows when she saw him nod. "And you've met both?"

"I have," Therius replied calmly.

"What do they look like?"

"They look like us," Therius said, but he refused to elaborate further.

This conversation she had with Therius months ago when they were studying the Akkadian culture in The Coralia, came to her mind when Emma entered the chapel.

She could see the statues of seven very good looking young people by the hallway, they all looked like the Greek Gods she saw in fantasy books.

They were all genderless, or at least, it was difficult to determine which one of them was male and female, as they all looked androgynous to her.

Aeron actually reminded her of these gods. They all had long hair and beautiful faces, but tall and perfect bodies. The Fire God was holding fire in his hand, the Water God crossed his arms in his chest but he was obviously standing above water, the Wind God had two beautiful wings, the Mind God's eyes were all blue, Earth God was covered in beautiful vines, Gods of Time and Space were standing side by side with their backs to each other.

Ahh.. these must be the earliest mages in history, Emma thought. They were so powerful, that people considered them gods. She still remembered what Therius told her.

Deep inside her heart, if there was really the god of time, The Time Master, Emma would really wish to meet him. She would do anything to see her father before he was executed.

"What are you thinking?" Therius asked Emma softly. He noticed the girl had been staring at the statues on the most left. "Anything interesting?"

Emma shook her head. "No."

Therius really wished he could read her mind to know what she was actually thinking. Unfortunately, he was too in love with her to ever be able to read her.

Why, of all people in the world, the only one he couldn't read was his own wife?