King Cyrus sat on his massive golden throne with a hand propped on his chin. His pale blue eyes stared before him at the council of the three wise men. His countenance is troubled and this makes him look aged.
King Cyrus Delaville, King and ruler of the Kingdom of Duville is in his early seventies with a full head of dark hair sprinkled with gray and a neatly trimmed goatee. A magnificent crown studded with diamonds and rubies sits on his head. Even in his advanced age, one can see that he was a handsome man in his youth and he must have caused a lot of ladies heartbreak. Right now, King Cyrus is troubled because his Queens have been unable to bear him an heir to the throne. It has been three good years since he married his wives and still, none of them have been able to conceive. It caused rumours to fly around the kingdom. People said the Queens were cursed with barrenness and King Cyrus would die without an heir. But the truth of the rumours remained unanswered.
"Your Majesty",one of the wise men says to the King and bows.
"Speak Elias",King Cyrus says.
Elias clears his throat and begins. "As we all know, it is mandatory for you to have an heir that will succeed your throne. As the Queens haven't been able to conceive, we have decided to choose a new bride for His Majesty, the King".
King Cyrus sighs heavily. "That is not an option Elias",he says.
"But Your Majesty....",Elias tries to explain but King Cyrus holds up his hand to silence him.
"I understand your worry Elias",he says. "I am kept awake every night, burdened with this same issue. It consumes my waking hours". He gets up from his throne and began to pace. "But choosing a new bride is not the right thing. You chose my third Queen and yet, she hasn't conceived".
"Your Majesty, if I may?",another of the wise men asks with his head bowed.
"Speak Gaius",King Cyrus says with a sigh. These old men wore him out tremendously with their constant nagging.
Gaius bows again. "Permit me to suggest that the cause might be with you Majesty".
King Cyrus frowned. He stops pacing and whirls around. "And what exactly are you suggesting Gaius?",he asks.
Gaius gulps and looks around the table at the other two wise men. They both avert their eyes, leaving him to face the King alone.
"It could be His Majesty is the one unable to make a child..."
"DO YOU QUESTION MY POTENCY GAIUS?", King Cyrus thunders and the wise men visibly tremble. King Cyrus was known for his fiery temper and no one dared to cross him.
"Of course not Majesty",Gaius stammers and bows his head. "Forgive me for speaking such words".
King Cyrus glared at him for a while before resuming his pacing. "I have made my decision",he says. "I will consult the old gods".
Whispers sounded around the table. The old gods were the powers of darkness and chaos, the supernatural entities that ruled the underworld. One never asked for the help of the old gods unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Your Majesty, I beg you",Darius pleads. He is the third wise man. "Have a rethink on this. The old gods are not approached on a whim".
" 'Tis the only way left",King Cyrus says. There was no other way. Deep down he knew Gaius was right. The inability to make his wife conceive was his fault. He was impotent. But he wasn't about to let these old fools know about his secret. His mind suddenly drifted to his first mistress, Evaleen. He missed her sorely. His plans were to make her one of his Queens but being the King prevented him from taking a common peasant to be his Queen. He wished she didn't have to leave the kingdom. Evaleen was the only woman he had ever loved wholeheartedly and the memory brought a smile to his face. He remembered when he first saw her. As beautiful as the Angel she was. He had known instantly that she was one of the pure ones from the Garden of Paraden and that was what attracted him to her. If he had just been potent to plant a seed in her, she would have been his rightful Queen. Now he would never see her again.
"Guards!",he yells suddenly.
Two guards rushed into the throne room and bowed. "Your Majesty",they say.
"Prepare the Royal Carriage",King Cyrus says to them. "I must journey to the land of the old gods before night fall".
"Yes Your Majesty",the guards say and they hurried out to carry out the King's orders.
The three wise men knew they couldn't change the decision of the King. His word was final. They gathered their parchments and bowed before King Cyrus before leaving one at a time.
King Cyrus settled back on his throne and ground his teeth in suppressed anger. The old men were getting on his nerves. Maybe it was time he changed them to someone who would do his bidding without questioning.
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Years ago, before the reign of King Cyrus Delaville.
The Garden of Paraden was a heavenly abode filled with Angels called the Pure Ones. It was a magnificent paradise. It was heaven.
Angels flew freely around, their magnificent white wings soaring in the air. They were all dressed in white robes with a glowing halo on their hair.
One Angel in particular sat alone beneath a golden tree. She was lost in thought and her wings were folded behind her. She didn't fly around like her fellow sisters and this made the Mother Angelic worried. Mother Angelic was the keeper of the Garden of Paraden and she made sure her Angels remained pure and content. But lately, Evaleen has been showing some signs and she knew it was time they had a talk.
"Daydreaming again Evaleen?",Mother Angelic asks as she sits beside the beautiful Evaleen.
Evaleen sighs. "Oh Mother Angelic. I wish I do not have to feel this longing within me. I long for something I cannot understand".
Mother Angelic caressed the soft golden blonde hair of Evaleen. She knew this day would always come. She just didn't think it would be so soon.
"Come with me sweet child",she says. "It's time I show you what you need to know about the Garden of Paraden".