"So what you are saying is you turned back time but you don't how nor can you go back to your former timeline?"
They were back inside Chronos' battered room.
After making them salvage whatever there was left they sat down in a circle. Claudina found a chair with a broken back while Sylvester dug out a wobbly stool. Together they found a small table. By placing a cushion on it they offered the third seat to Chronos. In the center was a table with a steaming pot of fresh tea, three tea cups, a jar of milk and honey.
"More or less but that is the gist of it," Chronos said as he watched Claudina pour the half of the entire jar of honey in her tea, stirring it before taking a sip. He cringed at the way her face relished in the taste.
"Good tea. Saint Sylvester you should try some."
"Sylvester I command you not to drink that abomination of tea." Sylvester nodded at his words but tipped the rest of the honey in his cup. He had a relaxed look in his face after the first few sips.
"This is good. Saintess you have taught me a good a way to enjoy tea."
"My pleasure~ If only Chronos understood the rich sweetness that is both addicting and relaxing."
"Shame."
Chronos groaned while squeezing his neck. 'I forgot Sylvester was similar to Claudina. He says one thing but means the other. No wonder I could stand her.'
He glanced at them. Certainly humans are children compared to him. But these two are more childish. A minute ago they were clashing swords and now they were chatting like old friends drinking too sweet tea. 'I wonder if I did a good thing sending such innocent children to the battlefields. I won't be surprised if they resent me…'
"So I assume Saintess Claudina will be staying in the temple?" Sylvester asked.
"On no. I shouldn't intrude your space then I already have. I think I will stay in a hotel as obviously I cannot enter the Crowley manor. My mother must be same age as me."
"Then allow me to pay for your expenses during your stay. I don't feel good about letting a young girl to pay when the host is able to."
"Your too kind but your sentiments are enough. Please don't worry about my expenses. I have enough money to stay comfortably."
Sylvester wasn't convinced so Claudina raised her index finger. A couple of gold coins popped out from the air. "Counterfeit money. The best money after your pocket money has been taken away."
"Ohhh~ of course it is the best money," Sylvester said, impressed. "I use it when my sisters would visit me to buy them expensive dolls. Saintess did you learn it at the academy. I studied in the temple so I am not sure."
"The academy will never teach it's students criminal activates," Chronos said before she could. "Since clearly they know that using and supplying counterfeit money is punishable by cutting off both their hands and confiscating all property by the government which something you two idiots here never cared for. You two are saints; you should be pure of heart than everyone else. Why do you covet such sins?"
"Don't be such a killjoy. Before saints, we are humans. And humans have a bottomless greed. That is why we are to willing fall for the devil's incitement. And Chronos you have no idea what that devoted Pope of yours does behind the temples' back."
"The worst of human debauchery comes from the most righteous one."
"At this rate the temple will be filled with the spawn of demons. All because of humans that are evil."
"True. At times I wonder if humans are more evil than demons."
"They are scary. More terrifying than demons. More evil. Perhaps we should be pointing our swords at the throats at the vile trash we call humans."
"Aren't we all trash, Claudina?"
"Yes." And with that they laughed.
A high pitched laughter that sounded forced to the god. Two saints were laughing at the things they sacrificed to protect. Laughing in front of the god who ordered them to give up their lives if needed but continue to protect; all because he loved humans he made these children hate them.
But behind the mask of jeer, were cracks. Anger, sorrow and hate for protecting something that hurt them just for existing.
'It would better if they resented me instead…'
Their anger was never directed to toward him though he can't help feeling that way.
He let them to their own devices after they stopped laughing only telling Sylvester to show Claudina around the capital as it must be different 26 years ago. When they were gone a bitter taste was left in his mouth.
They never hated him. They only hated his creations. And he can't be anger at them because they are also his creations. Creations he created so they would protect the vice of humans.
Sometimes he wishes to destroy the kingdom and built a new one in the ashes.
For a month Chronos looked for a way to at least Claudina back. During this time Sylvester had been keeping her company. Chronos let him off his duties, insisting that it was rare opportunity for two saints of the same god to be in one place. When Claudina took the saintess' seat, Sylvester left for the countryside with his Holy magic sealed. So they were never able to meet.
They got along quite well considering their first scuffle. This made Chronos happy.
Claudina had now involved Sylvester in her pranks. This however made his tear out his hair in frustration as he was the main recipient of them.
Many days he woke up caked in tar, flour and feathers or his clothes were soaked in rash powder. Sometimes there was boiled honey with its scent masked instead of his usual bitter tea. He got a nasty mouthful of it while looking over a Holy Book.
One rainy afternoon Chronos was sitting on a rocking chair. It was the first cool weather in a while so he relaxed until Claudina stopped by. He was reading a book when he felt a brush of fur on his feet. He looked over and saw the cat purring.
Sylvester had bought that brown orange kitten on his way from an extermination trip. Since then the cat was raised in the temple. It was quite obedient yet playfully. He lightly pushed it away but it nipped at his heels. Then it crawled up to settle down on his lap. Before long it had started to snooze. He smiled down at it. He was wondering if he should also take a nap when cheerful voices sounded right outside the hallway.
He put away his book. 'How tiring they might be I am unable to send them off.' The door opened and Claudina and Sylvester dashed in the same time.
"Oh well I guess neither of us won," Sylvester commented as he shrugged off his mackintosh coat while Claudina closed her parasol. As soon as they took off their wet clothes, grabbing a blanket each they immediately sat in front of the fire wishing to warm themselves. They sat side by side whispering while making wild gestures with their hands to prove a point.
Chronos watched over them the way an exasperated parent does. Trickles of water dripped down their hair before disappearing under the blanket.
With a swish oh his hand two large towels appeared and floated over the oblivious saints. They talked in exited hushed whispers when suddenly the towels wrapped themselves around their hand and wrung their hair dry.
They resembled little chicks with their hair standing up, blinking owlishly. They quickly resumed their earlier conversation no longer bothering.
Seeing how they were completely absorbed in their world, Chronos went back to his reading. Quiet, peaceful moments like this are hard to come by and Chronos wanted to cherish them as much as he could. With how he fought in the war with the other gods, he loves these soothing instances are his Achilles' heel.
"Oh Chronos I met my mother on the way. She was beautiful when young but not as much as me. The same cannot be told anymore when she is older."
"I though Miss Sofia will still be beautiful. You did tell me all about it but never why she doesn't attend parties anymore."
"Because she has this big scar on her face. She did it to herself just so she could avoid going out in public. It doesn't help much when Father makes her put makeup on to cover it."
"You don't care much about your mother huh?"
"I do not consider her as my mother." She added with a snort "Who would even after her mother hits her own daughter for being born and running her figure and marriage?"
"That...sounds rough."
"I know but I got her back by forging her signature and selling all her property to my alias name . That sorry bag of bones has no idea she has to beg me for shelter when Father throws the divorce papers at her face. News of the affair should have reached him by now." They both chortled at her plan. One would wonder if they were saints.
Unbeknownst to them that had been the tipping point for Chronos. He waited for them to stop but the conversation went off the rail at one point. He yelled.
"AGRHHHH!!!"
The book was ripped in half and the cat hissed while jumping off. He will never be at peace with these absolute heathens around. They both snuggled closer to one another, plastering a smug grin.
"Why did you meet her?! Do you not remember my warnings? Or have I not said it enough?"
"I didn't meet her. I avoided her as much as I could. But we were in the same boutique that I unintentionally talked to her. Rather she was the first to address me."
"It's true. I can vouch for her. I was there."
"Is that so? Yet I don't trust either of your words."
They frowned but said nothing in rebuttal.
Just like a summer rain his anger washed away at their faces. He faced the other side, watching the rain beat the window.
Chronos leaned on his arm. He knows they were speaking the truth but interacting with someone in the past may as well alter future events. So he believed his anger was justified.
Only Sylvester knew about Chronos and Claudina's situation. They tried their best to avoid people so their fates don't become altered. In the end they gave up after people themselves approached Claudina with the latter refusing to open her mouth which caused them to be more persistent. While Claudina never talked to anyone the same couldn't be said for the others. Men, women alike would approach her regardless of her indifference.
Only recently that stopped because Sylvester came along with her. Though this had created another problem.
"Also there are some weird rumors about me and Sylvester." Sylvester nodded in his usual somber way.
A vein twitched on Chronos' forehead "And whose fault do you think it is?!" he said pinching the bridge of his nose.
They both stared at him blankly. He signed deeply. Why are the two smartest people also the densest?
Truth to be told after the first two weeks of sightseeing and pranking Chronos in between, Claudina got bored. Whenever she was bored she would visit the temple to lure Sylvester out for a chat, a spar, a walk or anything. With him around, strangers didn't approach her so it was just an added bonus.
However the visits were so frequent that the squeamish Deacon and Deaconess and the students studying at the temple had assumed that 'the pretty lady with black hair' that visited the temple everyday was Sylvester's lover. There was no issue with a saint having a lover so they all would ogle at the so called love being blossomed under the temple arches.
Sylvester always had a tired but serious expression so when he walks with Claudina around the temple he has a more calm and friendly aura. It was usually because Claudina said something funny or they discussed a topic they were both interested in. After every walk, he always said to her that he never had so much fun with anyone else as no one was able to keep up with his wit, skill and peerage. Claudina understood where he was coming from. Sylvester is usually avoided in the temple because to the other he was an unattainable saint. This was not due to envy but admiration. Something that she also faced in the her timeline.
So when a beautiful girl was seen by his side, the word on the street got out that that the cold saint's heart was stolen by a black rose with the most charming smile.
Sylvester's cordial behavior and warm smiles towards her were mistaken as him being completely enamored while Claudina was well behaved most of the time her teasing and the noble airs she was educated with were seen as her bashfulness of being courted by a smitten man.
Soon they started to debate whether the Saint will get married this year or the next? If so will they have a wedding in the winter or spring?
"Sylvester do you know what they are calling it? They dubbed it as 'the fiery passions of the cold hearted Saint and the goddess with emerald eyes'. If this was high society a scandal would already have been published though the corny name will be same."
"Quite ridiculous if you ask me. There is nothing wrong in friendship between opposite gender. I value you as a friend and I hope that continues during your stay. Besides in the future I will be a man old enough to be your father."
"Hmm. The only problem is humans just loooove drama. Whether it is true or not, they will believe anything to suit their taste."
"Pity. We humans could do so much better than this." She agreed before going back to their whispered discussions.
Chronos was stunned. Truly he will never understand humans…