The Goddess

Chapter 3

Teris appeared in front of Ether, the God of Torture sky palace with nothing but the war in mind. After his stunt by making Astra suffers, there's nothing more fun than to destroy her own blood-related siblings.

Ether's head chamberlain greeted the goddess as she opens the door for her to enter.

"My goddess, Lord Ether is with someone. I suggest you wait for him in the waiting area. I'm sorry for the inconvenience," Teris hummed.

"With someone? Kodall I presume?" The head chamberlain nod.

"Then there more reason to barge in right now," Teris ignore the plea of the head chamberlain as she kicks the door of Ether's private quarters. Ether was not happy when he was being interrupted but that feeling soon turned to annoyance when he saw Teris.

"Sister, come to give your land I assume," Ether greeted her with a smile. Kodall, on the other hand, try to escape from this but Teris doesn't allow him to do so.

"Why stop? I'm here now. Continue whatever you're doing so I can hear you," Teris took a seat on the couch and crossed her legs, waiting for her brothers to continue their discussion.

"Come on Teris! You don't know how to handle three kingdoms at once. Unlike us, we know what we should do," for now, Ether's being polite.

"Ether, how vain do you think I am?" Ether shrugged her shoulder. Kodall noticed her sister's body language changes from time to time.

"So vain you don't even know what is good for your land?" Ether smiled.

"Oh really? So you think messing with the mortal I fall for will make me change my decision? We've been living for hundreds of years brother, how could you be this idiotic?" Ether was beginning to think being nice wasn't an option.

"Teris, your barge in my palace like you own the place. I don't appreciate your attitude towards me. I am older than you!" Teris scoffed.

"You're the one who started this pointless bantering, brother. I'm here to finish it, that's all," Teris turned to Kodall.

"And you, brother, some God of Love you are. What kind of God of Love who even thought about starting a war that you'll lose in the end?" Teris stood up from the couch and faces her brothers.

"If you dare to assault me again, I swear that both of your lands will be mine to have. There were two i***t brothers of ours who tried to take over Anrak from me, where are they now?" Ether was a little intimidating by Teris's threat.

"Everyone thought God will never die. I proof them all wrong! WRONG I SAY! I don't mind staining my hands again just to feel happiness. I don't mind if I have to be hated by our own parents for killing their children again. I don't even mind if I have to destroy everyone who is in my way to have that mortal as mine!" Both Ether and Kodall feel something foreign radiating from Teris.

It's... pure love.

***

Astra was bored when she decided to walk around the Cloud Palace that belongs to Teris, Goddess of War. Every time she walks past a couple of chamberlains, she always gets the bow she doesn't deserve at all. She's just a mortal and she wishes that they would just stop from doing so.

"I'm sorry, we can't do that. Yes, you're a mortal like us but you're the guest of the goddess. And like the goddess said to us on our first day as her chamberlain, a guest should be treated like the gods and goddesses as well," replied one of the chamberlain when Astra had enough.

"But I was a slave. I don't need to be treated like one of the divine beings," Astra was weirded out when the chamberlain bows their head low again.

"I already told you, I don't need this," Astra sigh.

"It's how they tell us that they will stay loyal to us divine beings. If they bow to you, meaning they will do whatever you wish them to do. Isn't that why you bow to your master?" Astra was surprised when Teris standing behind her.

She let the chamberlains go as she waited for Astra to explain to herself why she's here instead of in her room.

"I was bored and I feel fine this morning. I was looking for you. I thought that I should go back now that I'm healthy," Teris raised her eyebrows.

"Back where exactly? To your master?" She asked while Astra froze in her place. She doesn't want to go back to her master place but she is his wife, his legal wife.

"I... don't know. I don't want to meet the lord but I have no choice. I don't belong here. Mortals who stayed here are the chamberlains and I'm here as a guest, it's not fair for my kind to even treated differently.

"Then, what about I offer you to be one of my chamberlains? That way you will get to stay here and I'll get to see you every day," Teris offered with Astra's eyes widen. She can't believe what she's hearing right now.

"Me, as a Chamberlain? I never dream of being able to be in such rank," Teris called for her head chamberlain and explained to her about Astra's position. The head chamberlain welcomed Astra with open arms.

"But, what about my husband? He's bound to look for me," Teris assures Astra that she's going to take care of this herself. The head chamberlain leads her towards the chamberlains quarters and begin her training immediately.

Teris however, she went to her chamber of commerce and informed her trusted minister about her official visits to Anrak. The minister agreed to follow the goddess for her official visit to the mortal world.

After she's done with things at hand, she noticed an official letter from Ether, the God of Torture. She rolled her eyes as she opens the letter and read the content.

"I am invited to his daughter's birthday huh? Is this a joke?" She asked herself.

***

"A chamberlains job is like a maid in some nobles home. But it's different when it comes to serving the goddess. She's actually quite a handful to take care off," the head chamberlain explained to Astra the scope of her job.

"I actually took over this job from my mother when she's too old to work. Our family has been serving the goddess of war for years now," she added a little fact about herself.

"Wow. Anyway, what do you mean by handful? I thought all she does is goes to war and never come homes," the head chamberlain smiled when Astra walks out from the dressing room. She fixes anything crooked on her uniform.

"Our goddess of war is a very demanding goddess who always wanted perfection in her eyes. You job especially will be taking care of her meal," Astra was confused.

"Actually what kind of food does the goddess eats?" The head chamberlain handed her a book that contains all of the goddesses likes and dislike.

"So she hates vegetable but we have to force her to eat it? How? She's the goddess of war! She will have our head," the head chamberlain chuckled.

"As much as terrifying she is, that is all just a facade she created. The real Teris is actually some divine being who's afraid of her mother and sisters. She doesn't like to be scolded because she refuses to eat her veggie," Astra chuckled.

It's been so long since she had a good laugh.

"So the goddess actually listens to you when it comes to eating her veggie?" The head chamberlain nod before turning Astra to face the mirror.

"Beautiful right?" Astra agreed. Just like the head chamberlain had said, the uniform does fit her alright.

"Now, your first job is to make something decent so I can have a taste of your food. You can make anything you want. I just need to test if it's worthy for a goddess to consume," Astra nod before she walks towards the kitchen.

"Head Chamberlain, I thought she's our guest," said one of the newer Chamberlain.

"She was until the goddess offered her a job here as one of us. But I can tell that she's going to be something far greater than a Chamberlain. The goddess seems to be infested with her. I think she's in love," the other chamberlains gasped.

They heard stories before starting working as the goddess's chamberlains and none was about the goddess in love with somebody.

Not long after, Astra came back with a tray of food and drinks. The head chamberlain takes a look and impressed by the display.

"Presentable. But does it taste good as the decoration?" The head chamberlains took a spoon and have a little taste. Her eyes widen before facing Astra.

Astra was confused by the expression. Does it taste delicious or the latter?

"You have to tell me your recipe. This is... this is the best stew beef I've ever tasted!" Astra was glad and told them it's actually something the kids at the orphanage always requested when she's around.

With that said, Astra was elected to becoming one of the goddess personal cooks.

***

When Teris's envoys arrived at Astra's former master's mansion, everyone was shocked at the sight. For most of them, this is the first time they were grace by the goddess presence. Unlike the nobility of Anrak, they were used to see the goddess in banquets that was host by the goddess herself.

The minister informed their visits to one of Astra's former Master's concubines when they were invited into the Mansion. Teris kept a cold look because she knows this concubine. She was one of the women who killed Astra's unborn child.

"The Lord will be here soon," she informed before excusing herself from the goddess.

"Wait," The concubine froze in her place when she heard the goddess speaks up.

"You were one of the women who canes Astra. Why? I just need to know the reason for your doing," the minister noticed how the mortal woman fidgeting before looking up to the goddess.

"Because the master was favouring the slave rather than his own mistresses. We don't like being treated like trash," Teris looks down on the mortal with disgust.

"I wonder why my brother Hiher, God of judgement even let you go after killing an innocent life that wasn't even born. Let me tell you this, mortal. Whatever the God of judgement had said, nothing will change the fact that you're a murderer," the mortal woman burst into tears before running away from the goddess.

Not long after, Astra's former master and soon to be ex-husband came to greet his guest. He was informed that his wife is in the goddess hands but he never thought that the goddess herself will be coming to the mortal world just to see him.

"My Lord, I'm sure you know why we're here, correct?" The lord nod as the minister asked him a question.

"Astra has become one of my chamberlains. She's a mistress now, rank far more superior than yourself. She requested to be free from your hold," the lord was speechless when the goddess informs him about Astra.

"But, she's my wife,"

"Like I said she wishes to be free. It was your own fault for associating yourself with my brother's plan. I am aware that you're in some kind of debt from the brothel you've sponsored, is that right?" Teris took a step forward.

"How much gold did my brother gave you? How many chamberlains did he use to get you? How many times did my brothers cast a spell on you, huh mortal?" Teris lifted the lord's chin.

"Countless time I see," the minister steps in.

"My goddess, let me handle this. I am here for a reason after all," the minister shows the lord a gold official letter from the cloud palace that he had forged earlier.

"This is an official letter that stating that Astra, is no longer in your care. She's a free mortal, who has her own life. You have no right to see her, touch her and call her as your own. She belongs to no one," the minister pointed at the bottom of the letter where the lord should sign it.

"Don't make this hard, my lord. If you oppose this decision, the goddess will have to take back your wealth and power that was blessed to you," the lord didn't even hesitate to sign the letter when he heard that.

After all, money and power are the things that far more important than some silly wife.

***

"I wonder, why does this land call as Anrak the three kingdoms? What's the story behind that name?" Astra asked when she follows the Head chamberlains towards another part of the Cloud Palace.

"My mother told me that many years ago, two of the goddess brothers, I'm not sure what their names are decided to attacked Anrak because they envied the goddess of war. Because of her exceptional victory in wars that she was in, the God of beginning, Luxenar reward the goddess with Anrak, the biggest land of all the Gods and Goddesses," Astra listened tentatively as the Head Chamberlains tells her the story.

"Soon, soldiers from those two lands led by the Gods attacked Anrak and my goddess, it was a disaster. Many life was simply taken and I remember my mother saying that the goddess of Afterlife, their mother wasn't able to stop her own children from killing each other," Astra thought that this tale should be in school, let the future generations.

"But of course the goddess won in the end and Anrak was then called as Anrak the three kingdoms because after the Gods were slain, their land was emerged by the goddess herself. She ruled this land afterwards," Astra knows about the Great War but she never thought that it was this elaborate.

"Wow... why would they even think of attacking a land that ruled by the goddess of war? That's just insanely idiotic," The head chamberlain chuckled before showing Astra her quarters.

"This is the chamberlains quarters. In here you'll shared housing with a few more girls that just started to work her themselves," Astra nod before walking in.

"Since you're a chamberlain now, you're not allowed to stay in the guest room in the palace. But who knows, if you work hard enough, you might get to live in one of the quarters where chamberlains like me stayed," Astra was curious.

"Chamberlains like you?" Astra was thinking that the head chamberlains and the others who live in the palace as someone who ... super close with the goddess like in-bed-close.

"What the Head Chamberlain meant was girls whose seems special in the goddess's eyes. Girls like the head of the chamberlain of course and a few more girls whose done something to make the goddess please," a girl suddenly appeared from one of the rooms.

"Ahh, Astra, meet one of your housemate. And don't think it as a bad thing, the people who live in the palace together with the goddess is someone who should be near the goddess in case something happen or she just wishes something. We never sleep with the goddess if you were thinking that way," the head of chamberlains chuckled before excusing herself.

"Oh, you will start tomorrow. I hope to see you tomorrow morning before breakfast," Astra nod as she watched the head of chamberlains leaves her with her roommate.

***

"So, we've heard that you were a slave before and married to your master?" Astra was attacked with many questions when she came back from the bathhouse.

"Yes and yes. Wow, the news does travels fast around here huh," her roommates chuckled.

"Oh, you have no idea. Besides, you were being favoured by the goddess herself, it's bound to spread like wildfire," Astra can't believe that every single one of the mortals in the sky palace talks about her.

"Who knows, you might be our lady in the end, huh?" They joked about it. They were talking about something silly until one of them asked about the current feud between the Goddess and her brothers, God of torture and God of love.

"I can't shake the feeling that this will bounce to happen like before. Another great war is happening," said one of the roommates.

"I hope not! Our family is living down in the mortal world. I thought the goddess should be preventing this from happening right? She ought to protect the people," said another one of the roommates who seems triggered.

"I'm sure whatever happens, our goddess will make sure that we, the mortals who live under her wing will survive another war. We just have to have faith in our ruler," said one of the oldest among them. Astra in the other hand, wonder if the goddess even thinking of the mortals when she's in war.

"Every war has their own casualties. Let's hope the Cloud Palace doesn't get attack. Again, I'm sure the soldier that was left to protect the palace supposedly to be one of the greatest warriors that the goddess ever trained right?" Astra shrugged her shoulder since she doesn't have any clue what to say.

"Say, Astra, you're orphan?" Astra shakes her head.

"I have a mother. Breathing and living, I think," she has no clue what had happened to her mother.

"She sold me to the slave camp because she needs money for her opium addiction," the others were looking at each other.

"Sorry. But, if she knows what you've accomplished now, I think she'll be damn to know that you're a chamberlain for a goddess. Us mortals who work for the goddess has a rank higher than the lord," Astra was surprised.

"Wait, seriously?" Astra asked just to make sure.

"Yes. Working for the goddess is one of the prestige jobs in the land. It grants you wealth and power in the mortal world. Didn't the Head chamberlain told you that?" Astra shakes her head.

She doesn't even know she was getting paid for being a cook!