The Creator's gaze rested on Shigure and me. His gaze softened a little when looking at me, but perhaps that was just my imagination.
"Harmony," He said with a serious expression, "can you tell me what a marriage covenant is?"
"I - uh…" I had totally not been expecting this question and it took a moment for me to gather my thoughts. "Do you want the one we have in the tribes now, the ancient one or the one in the city? I'm not really familiar with the one in the city. In the tribes, they say that it's fine as long as the elders agree. The couple just has to make a declaration to the tribe and enter the room, or at least, from most of what I've seen, the man declares his intentions to the tribe and then drags the girl he wants into his room. That's it."
"Tell me about the ancient one," the Creator told me without changing expression, while Shigure quietly watched and listened.
"Uh," I scrambled to find the correct memory file in my memory banks and read the file. "If I remember rightly from the stories of that great-great aunt who used to watch over me before she died, it's where a man and woman make a betrothal agreement with the blessing of their parents first and then make a public announcement before the whole tribe. There's a big feast and everyone congratulates them. Then they each return to their own homes to learn and work and prepare for their life together and study how to be a family. One of the two, and sometimes the two together, will build a residence where they plan to raise their family. When they are ready, there is another feast with lots of food and good wine. The tribe will witness the couple leaving the house of their parents and coming together to announce before Heaven and to the Land their marriage covenant and vows to the whole tribe, which is sealed with an exchanged cup of wine and sometimes a kiss. A written contract is signed and sealed by both the man and the woman, and sometimes with the added signatures of their family heads, depending upon the agreed terms of the covenant. Everyone celebrates and helps the couple to move into their new house and the couple enter the wedding room to consummate. The two become one in a sacred act which seals the marriage covenant."
"And how is the act of consummation, according to the ancient ways, seen outside of marriage?" the Creator tested my memory of these ancient things that no longer held sway over modern life.
"It was an act of immorality, disrespect and perversion," I said, wrinkling my face in an effort to remember the great-great aunt's voice while she had taught me these things. I had only been about four years old, so the fact that I could remember this much and in this much detail showed just how hard that great-great aunt had hammered these laws and stories into my head. "Those who did it on purpose without repentance were thrown off the Cliffs of the Dead. Those who did it before the marriage, were then quickly married, but they would live in shame for the rest of their lives and people would down on them as people with bad character and poor discipline. They were considered people who could not be trusted with important deeds."
"Daughter," said the Creator Father with a soft voice, "can you remember who they said first wrote the laws regarding the marriage covenant?"
"The noble judges," I replied with alacrity, using the word in my tribal tongue. "They said the noble judges taught the tribes and they said the noble judges said that it was the command… of… the Creator…" my voice tapered off as the implications hit me. "But they said the ancient laws were no longer relevant in current society and that…"
I didn't want to let the Creator Father down. He was so good to me. If He didn't love me, who would? What if He didn't want me anymore? I wouldn't be able to stand that.
I threw myself into the Creator's arms with the dawning realisation that I had ruined something the Creator had meant to be sacred and lovely and sweet. According to the law, I should be thrown off the Cliffs of the Dead, because I had not had any remorse for having performed an immoral and shameful act that perverted His original intentions.
My guts twisted in me and my chest hurt as if I had been stabbed. I felt my head reel.
"Creator Father, Creator Father," I sobbed, "I'm so sorry. I didn't realise. I was wrong. I was wrong. Don't leave me. Please don't throw me off the Cliffs of the Dead. I should have realised and thought it through like you told me but I didn't and now… I'm so sorry! I acted out of impulse again and I thought it would be fine, because I thought marriage was a simple thing. I was wrong. Punish me but don't throw me away. Please don't throw me away."
The Creator Father picked me up and held me on his lap properly so that my bad legs wouldn't have to be hurt. He patted my back but didn't say anything until my sobs and wails died down a little. He was silent for so long that I had stopped crying. I lifted my head to glance back in the direction He was looking in. There, I found Shigure bowing with his forehead resting on the ground, trembling. From what I could see, his face was as white as a sheet. He was sweating profusely. So much so that his hair was turning dark with sweat.
It seemed the Creator Father was speaking to Shigure silently where I couldn't hear.
The Creator Father continued to hold me in a comforting and loving manner, somewhat allaying my fears that He wouldn't abandon me. I was really terrified of being abandoned. So many people had abandoned me. Only the Creator Father had ever said He would never leave me alone. If He did, I wouldn't be able to bear it.
I didn't think I would be able to stand being abandoned again. If it happened again, I might as well throw myself off the cliffs.
"Daughter," the Creator Father pulled me out of my darkening thoughts. "Don't think such things. I gave you life so that you might have it more abundantly. It's my gift to you. Please don't disdain it and me with it."
My eyes widened and I stammered an apology. I hadn't realise that was what I had been doing just by thinking of ending my life.
"I will never leave you nor abandon you. I will be with you to the ends of the world. Do not be afraid."
"Even though I made such a big mistake?" I asked, wiping my face with both my hands as tears began to fall again. "Even though I ruined what you expected from a marriage covenant? Will you forgive me?"
"You are forgiven," the Creator Father helped me to wipe my eyes. "You were forgiven long ago when I paid the price for you all those years ago. But don't do it again. Remember to check with me before you make any big decisions. To be clear, I am not against the union of the two of you. You were already so closely entangled that it was bound to happen eventually. I am just disappointed that you went about it the wrong way and tarnished what I meant to be holy and sacred, turning it into something so much less."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," I sobbed.
"The one you should apologise to isn't to me," the Creator Father said, looking down at my abdomen. "Although I forgive you, you must still pay the consequences of your wrong actions. There are always consequences of wrongdoing. My original plan didn't involve you getting hurt, but now… things are going to be very painful and difficult for both you and Junichi. The child is not going to survive. Would you rather I take the child now or will you wait until you lose her?"
Her? Although the child had just been conceived, the Creator already knew its gender?
I stammered and stuttered but couldn't get a sound out. In the end, I could only look at Shigure for help.
Shigure's pale and drawn face looked up and our eyes met. In that split second of the meeting of our eyes, we made the same decision and Shigure spoke for me.
"Majesty, we would rather you took the child now," Shigure bowed down again, His voice trembling.
"Very well," the Creator said and made a gesture. "I will take care of the child and she will wait with me until you have both completed your work here. You will not see her until your days have come to an end. Don't worry, Harmony," the Creator Father cupped my cheeks in his hands. "The child will be safe with me. Would you like to give her a name?"
Shigure and I exchanged another look. We were stumped for a moment and held a quick internal conversation. Most of my thoughts ran along the lines of food or flowers. Shigure wanted a more meaningful name but couldn't decide on one. In the end, I asked Shigure to make the decision. He shook his head at me.
"You decide," he said. "Any of the names you mentioned will do."
"Hanna," I decided, "with the meaning of favour and grace, as well as the Nihon meaning of a flower. Because we found favour and grace in the Creator Father's eyes, we received a beautiful flower. Sadly, we are unable to see her or watch her grow up into the flower I hoped her to be."
"Hanna," Shigure smiled and agreed, turning to the Creator Father. "The child's name shall be Hanna."
"I will take care of Hanna for you," the Creator Father repeated, but looked at me with compassion, "however when you return, you will lose the child in a painful way."
I took a deep breath.
"Knowing she is with you," I tried to say bravely, "I feel better."
Shigure came over to hold my hand. His hand was very cold.
"As I told you before, although you are forgiven, there are consequences for wrongdoing," the Creator said, wrapping an arm around both Shigure and me. "Attend to me. When the two of you return to the city, the first thing you shall do is inform your Director and arrange your immediate marriage. I am sending you a Wedding Celebrant and the Director shall approve and witness your marriage. Remember, this is the first thing you must do upon your return."
"We're getting married when we return," Shigure murmured to me and squeezed my hand. We shared a small thrill of excitement.
"Following that, Junichi, you must warn the Director and the relevant authorities to raise the defences. Meanwhile Harmony, you shall go as you requested, to the tribes to give them warning. Harmony, if you choose to do this, you will be badly hurt and injured again. You must be prepared. I will preserve your life and I will ensure nobody is able to violate you again, however the tribes will not treat you well. They will try to kill you. Are you sure you want to go to warn the tribes? They are the ones who cast you out. Your name has been separated from them."
Shigure squeezed my hand hard with worry.
"Don't go," he said with some anxiety. "You keep getting injured and my heart can't take it."
"Creator Father," I looked up into the face of compassion. "I will go. There may still be one or two good people in the tribes who will listen to your warning. Perhaps we can at least save them. It's not fair to destroy the innocent with the bad and you are the fairest being there is."
"Then it shall be as you wish," the Creator Father sighed and stroked my hair. "Junichi, while she is with the tribes, you cannot afford to be distracted. Trust that I will take care of her. You may not leave your post. Instead, prepare what is needed for the two of you to make a quick departure. Unless you plan to choose to perish with the city?"
Shigure looked at me and then away at something I couldn't see. He lowered his head.
"You wish to choose the city?" the Creator Father raised His eyebrows. "And what will come of Harmony?"
"Creator Father, if Shigure dies with the city, then please let me die with him," I tugged the Creator Father's sleeve, slipping off his lap and into Shigure's. Shigure fumbled, not having expected me to do that and the Creator Father helped to catch and stabilise me into Shigure's lap.
"No!" Shigure burst out, glaring at me. "I promised to protect the city with my life. You can go and…" his voice trailed off.
"If you stay, I stay," I said, wrinkling my nose at him. "If you go, I go. Creator Father, is there a way for us both to survive the destruction of the city?"
"For this to happen," the Creator Father's gaze returned to Shigure, "Junichi, you must be willing to return to your biological family overseas. The two of you will also be seriously injured and need to go through a long period of rehabilitation and readjustment to living in another country in another culture."
Shigure looked at me and then at the Creator again.
"Majesty, is there really no way to save the city this time?" he asked in what sounded like an agonised voice.
"I too, must keep a promise to my friend. I promised the ancestor of your line of judges to preserve his future disciples if they remained loyal to me and remained righteous," the Creator said very seriously.
"I'm going wherever you go," I told Shigure stubbornly. "You're marrying me. For better or for worse, you know. A war is not getting in our way. I won't let you leave me behind. We still have to have our second child after our marriage. We still have to live a good, long life together. One night with you is not enough, you know. Once we're back in the city, we're going to both be busy with our own work, but you can be certain. Wherever you go, I will follow. Once I am done with the tribes I'm coming to find you. If you are hurt, I will do my best to be there for you."
"I will let you both know what is the best time for evacuation," the Creator said, seeing our resolve. "If you choose to miss that window of time, you will both fall into enemy hands. When that happens, the only ones who can save you will be Junichi's family who have come to search for their lost son. It will not be wrong to go with them. They are also a family filled with talented abilities, however, you will eventually be abandoned as you have already received the inheritance of a different line. If you evacuate on time, you and Homeward's family will unite and travel to build a city together. Originally, I planned for you, Junichi, to take the lead, however your recent actions have led to you losing the chance to take on this responsibility and the role of leadership being passed on to your friend."
Shigure took a few shuddering breaths and he buried his face into the side of my neck while I felt the conflict battling in his heart. I stroked his head, feeling him bitterly accept the Creator's reprimand and that he had been wrong.
Whichever way he chose, there was going to be hardship, betrayal and pain. My man had been alone for so long that he had forgotten what it might be like to have someone unconditionally by his side. I wanted to be his support. To be there to comfort him when he needed me.
Although I knew I was relatively simple minded and not suited to the intrigues his world was wrapped up in, I could at least be his cheerleader and hold his hand. I wasn't confident in any other skills other than being stubborn and tenacious.
"Remember, children, you can seek my help and advice at any time. When you are unsure, come to Me. I am always ready and waiting for you. I am also always happy if you just want a visit and a hug," the Creator Father smiled at me, reading my mind before the thought could fully form and I grinned at Him. "Remember also, that you are the children I bought back from my enemy to bring back into my own service. You have the authority to speak and make decisions in My Name. Make choices that will glorify Me, so that more people will see Me in you and want to come and find Me. I will never leave you, nor forsake you. I am with you to the ends of the world."
A warm wind wrapped around the both of us and then whipped hard, lifting us up. I had to scrunch my eyes shut because of the wind.