Where The Dead Ones Go Book 3 -Emirate-

Chapter 12

"On behalf of the Cretonian Union citizens, let me congratulate you Vivet and Kairos on your betrothal with each other," a severe-looking man barely five years older than our biological age wearing a crisp brown suit said his heartfelt message to the two of us when he suddenly appeared out of nowhere when we are standing at the foyer after taking in a phone call from Ms Irene who is giving us last-minute instructions about our ceremony in mere few days, "Your wedding is a breath of fresh air in this dire times when the only news arriving at my office are bad ones."

My husband and I bowed our heads in gratitude, "We thank you, good sir. But please, do kindly forgive our ignorance for not knowing you personally aside from the fact that you somehow represent our dear friends' nations."

"Oh, dear! The atmosphere here is so cordially infectious, I have forgotten my manners!" he exclaimed in shock as he returned our bow before facing us once more with pride, "I am Yosefo Freedel, Archduke of the Cretonian Union."

When we heard those words, we once again bowed and this time, with curtsy befitting of the man of his position.

But he waved his hand jovially and winked at the two of us, "Please, no need to be formal. Aside from the fact that you two are technically way above my social and political standing, I want to be treated just the way you treat Eonia and Narcine."

"I do apologize, Your Highness, but that just won't do," Kairos quickly answered respectfully, "They are not on your same political standing to begin with."

The archduke blinked at us blankly before grinning as if something finally hit him, "Oh, now I see. Those two didn't tell you, huh? Well, that was to be expected but to think that their mortal parents agreed to this is entirely surprising. Why don't you two regale me just this once and be my companion as I wait for the proper signing of our armistice with the emirate? I heard that the grand marshall's excellent daughter is at the gazeebo in the garden? Shall we?"

Kairos and I looked at each other for a second before nodding and walking side-by-side with the union leader.

"Forgive us for staring so intently, Your Highness. But the leader of Cretonia that we are expecting is someone a bit older than you."

To our surprise, he just gave him a bored look instead of replying, and finally, we get why he is suddenly cold.

"Sorry, Yosefo," I quickly said that returned the smile on his face as soon as it left, "We have just met several royalties and dignitaries for more than a week now. So much that we have gotten used to treating everyone we just met with absolute respect."

"Well, at least we are clear on that, Vivet," the young leader brightly answered as he turned his head to the creation of Khronos himself once again, "To answer your question, I am not sure why you are surprised to see someone as young as me, why, barely five years your senior, in such a high political position. Your wife here became the empress barely into her teen years and did a heck of a good job."

Kairos nodded as he glanced at me and smile, "When you put it that way, I guess I shouldn't be surprised at all."

"Anyways, I am in the same position as the empress was eons ago. My father passed away too early and we just can't have anyone sitting on the union's throne that's why I am here," he continued as we finally arrived at the garden, and sure enough, we found the daughter of the queen of the oceans sitting at the gazebo and skimming through tall stacks of paperwork with an annoyed look at her face, "Ah, there she is. The retainer of the sheik and demiurge of Amphitrite. Greetings!"

Rebie looked up and respectfully lowered his head after standing up when she saw who we are accompanying, "Archduke! I thought the emira and father are having a meeting with you right now?"

"No need for formalities, Rebie," he waved his hand cordially, and our friend is quicker on the uptake than we are as she relaxed her stance and motioned us to sit in front of her, "Deira and Reginald already sent us the provisions for the armistice days before. I am only here to sign the papers personally and to show the Scythians and Cretonians alike that the bad blood between our nations is all under the bridge. They told me that I can take this time to wander around the palace and I happened to chance upon these two lovebirds here so I nabbed them for myself."

Rebie chuckled and raised an eyebrow at Kairos and me before nodding at the archduke, "I supposed you let something slip about Narcine's position and of course, Eonia's as well, Yosefo?"

"Accidentally of course, Rebie."

The two laughed together and turned their gaze to us, who are quietly watching their pleasant banter between each other, "I will just make this simple and short, Vivet and Kairos. Narcine and Eonia are really royalties from the Cretonian Union."

"I could understand Narcine with her being the daughter of the queen of the underworld but Eonia? How?"

Yosefo sighed and inclined his head at me, "What she means is that they are royalties from their mortal side of the family as well."

"What?!" Kairos exclaimed that it made Rebie close her eyes and massaged her forehead.

"On papers, the union is ruled by the archduke alone but in reality, behind Yosefo, there are four other noble families who bear the title of barons or baronesses who help him lead the nation. Eonia and Narcine are heiresses of two of them."

I nodded slowly as I finally get what they are trying to say, "I wonder why they didn't bother telling us?"

"The four families are traditionally not keen on taking the spotlight. They prefer to do their things behind the archduke or archduchess as they lead their respective dominions," Yosefo answered smoothly as he looked around him and sighed, "To tell you all the truth, they are the ones who convinced me to sign the treaty since their citizens are clamoring for it especially after they learned that their scions are fighting alongside the son of Khronos to defend the Scythians."

Kairos nodded slowly and looked at the skies above, "Father, huh?"

"You haven't met him?"

"No, not yet in my entire existence, Yosefo," he answered sadly as the archduke look at him sympathetically, "Have you seen him before?"

To our surprise, the leader of the Cretonian Union nodded at once, "Oh, yes I have. Twice already and if I might be frank in front of his son, I prefer that the second would be the last time. But your wedding happened and so I have to brace myself for a third one."

"What happened?" Rebie asked as she already gave up sifting through the papers she is holding and give us her full attention, "We met him in the past and though we didn't see him face to face, he sounded like a very impatient and dour immortal."

Yosefo laughed a little and grinned, "Impatient and dour. Couldn't find two words to perfectly describe the god of time even if I try myself, Rebie. But yes, he really is a bit unbearable and grumpy. Normally, not even the ruling families of the union are amiable, to say the least with the god of time who resides in our territory apparently long before even mortals walked on Gearth. He only shows himself to the painfully select few Cretonians he deigned worthy enough to see him face to face."

"And he did to you..."

He looked at me quietly before closing his eyes as if he is relieving one of the most painful moments in his life, "He did and I didn't even want to. I was very vulnerable when he showed himself to me. See, it was only a few days after my father died only a year after my mother and I am busy trying to pick up the pieces of me scattered at the family mausoleum at Notusia."

"I can understand what you are saying. I was the same when my father died. I am just too young to handle it all at once. My world just crumble and fall around me."

Yosefo nodded at me in agreement, "Too true, Vivet. Taking care of myself is the last thing I wanted to do, much less an entire nation. Frankly speaking, I just wanted to curl up and die. I am nothing without them. Right at that very moment, the unbearable weight of the past is all that I can ever think about. I couldn't even think about the present, not even I care for what the future brings. I just want to close my eyes and imagine myself with my parents the way I always used to be back then."

"Then he appeared to you face to face..."

"Indeed, spawn of time. "Those who truly accepted and wished for the past are the ones worthy enough to gaze upon my visage. When I looked up from where I am sitting in front of my parent's graves, I saw him, Khronos. In all his timeless glory looking down on me without even a hint of pity or sympathy."

"What does he look like, Yosefo?" Rebie asked but to our shock, he just pointed at the boy between us.

"Change his hair to autumn brown and his face to a perpetually stoic one and that's Khronos for you," he answered simply that made my husband's jaw fall, "When I first saw Kairos here, I thought it was him but when I saw his expression, I finally realized it is not. But just like Vivet and Morris closely resembles their divine parents, Kairos did the same but infinitely closer to the god of time in terms of sheer appearance."

I nodded and sighed as Morris in our mind is listening in to our conversation while watching Hyro play with the children of the Cretonian dignitaries at the park downtown who came here to accompany the archduke, "So I wouldn't expect someone that different from my husband on our wedding day then, Yosefo."

"I was even surprised when he told me that he will be coming at all," the archduke said in honest surprise that made Kairos look at him intently.

"Are you talking to him regularly?"

He shook his head in relief, "Thankfully not. As I said, there are only two times we have ever talked at all. The first is when he appeared before me in front of my parents' graves to tell me that as much as he wanted me to wallow in the memories of the past, the union needed someone to lead it in these dire times. For the sake of my father and mother, I would have to use the pain of yesterday to live for the days in the future. The second is just the other day when he suddenly barged right into the union's council building while in session to announce his intent to attend the wedding of his creation in Scythia. He also ordered the four ruling families to ratify the armistice with the emirate and be done with it before vanishing as if he was never there. Even Lord Hephaestus, Lord Eurus and Lady Demeter just quickly agreed without a second thought when we told them that it is the will of the time god."

"That's time for you," Kairos said simply as the archduke laughed in response, "The next thing you know, it is no longer there, if it is even there at all in the first place."

"Agreed. Anyway, that's the long and short of it. After the signing of the papers later, the Cretonia and Scythia will finally be at peace formally after centuries," Yosefo said in relief as he glanced at several Cretonian dignitaries walking in the hallway with their Scythian counterparts talking animatedly, "We have held our grudges long enough. Even our resident god of time has decided to let go and so will we. If Eonia, Narcine and even Kairos can stand with Rebie and Vaski against the same enemy, it is only natural for us to follow suit."

The daughter of Amphitrite nodded and looked down on the papers she is preparing earlier, "This might be the only time in eons that all countries are united and firmly in one side of a conflict. I get goosebumps just thinking about it to be honest."

"I agree, Rebie. The union and the emirate has been at each other's throat for so long, we have finally settled our differences diplomatically and I do hope that the immortals can do the same," the archduke said hopefully as he glanced in my direction, "There isn't much time left, of that we are sure in Cretonia. Khronos himself is getting out of his self-imposed isolation to answer the call of other immortals. If that isn't a sign of things to come then I don't know what else."

I nodded in agreement, "I really hope mother can help sort things out with Eirene and Ekecheira during the reception."

"About that, Vivet. I'm afraid I have bad news for you," Rebie muttered quietly as she looked down on the paper she pulled out from the stack, "Lady Elpis will not be able to attend the ceremony. Her brother, Lord Thanatos has also sent their invitations back stating that he and your mother have something important to do on that very same day. I'm sorry, Vivet."

Morris shared his dream conversation with his father with me, and I saw Thanatos telling him that it is a matter of utmost importance and that only he and Elpis can get the job done.

"Yeah, I was going to tell you about that myself later but Rebie beat me to it. The way father said it, he is obviously nervous and restless, I don't think they will miss this very important day of your life if its just a simple task to be done, cousin..."

I felt my heart sank a little when I heard their words but judging by the god of death's worried expression, I believe that I have no right to hold it against them.

What made me more worried is that he clearly needs my mother's help with this.

"Vivet?"

I blinked and looked at the three before smiling apologetically, "Don't worry. Morris told me that his father really needed mother's help with this one so I wouldn't mind it that much. Besides, Kairos' creator will be there anyways. I am sure he will be more than enough for the two of us."

"Of course, Vivet. I myself have a lot of questions to ask him. I hope he will be more than willing to answer them..."

The archduke stands up but not before giving a warning to my husband, "I know he is your father in all intents and purposes but if I am going to judge his behavior together with the scriptures we have back at the union, I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. He is very, very, taciturn and impatient. But, hey! He is your flesh and blood, I guess the chance is not zero."

Rebie nodded in agreement as she too stood up and offered to take Yosefo back to the throne room as they saw the dignitaries happily rushing back inside the palace and loudly talking about sealing the agreement finally.

"Indeed. We will left you two here but be sure not to stray anywhere near Gala's room," she warned us sternly as she closed her eyes wearily, "Syden got a face full of ice spikes in his face when he idiotically knocked to check on her."

We both nodded quickly and let the two trudges back at the palace, leaving Kairos and me behind.