In the throne room, the king sat upon his mighty throne and looked down at Celine who was kneeling according to Valerian customs. "It was only a matter of time before you became a god. I was waiting for this moment," he smiled softly.
"I assume every time a god is born the timeline resets and every god remembers the past worlds they've lived in. Does this mean the first god who conquered the tower has seen this world 73 different times?" Celine questioned.
Arthur, the Valerian king, spoke. "Exactly, the oldest god is the one who knows the future the best. He alone has so many years of experience and knows so many people that it is impossible to reach his power. Trust me."
"I clearly remember you dying in the world where I became god. How are you still alive?"
"Gods cannot die. Whenever we do, we reappear when the next god appears and the timeline resets. This our immortality," Arthur heaved a burdensome sigh of his curse.
"What number god are you? Are you somebody ancient like one of the first ten gods? People who have seen the world reset more than sixty times," Celine asked.
Arthur's brows furrowed. "Don't ask those types of questions to other gods. Asking that is asking how strong another god is. It can seem like you are gauging their power for battle. But that's enough answers for you, now give me answers," he said demandingly. "Why are you here?"
"Because-" she paused. What would Arthur think if he knew the real reason why Celine was here? What if she said what she truly thought about his daughter? "I came to learn about my divine powers from somebody I knew I could trust," she easily lied.
An unapologetic smile brightly showed on Arthur's face. "That was a trick question," he said before putting a hand on Celine's shoulder. "I've lived for many lifetimes and something that always appears by my daughter's side is you. Now, the moment you lost everything to become god, you come here. What does that mean?"
"I-" she stuttered, afraid of the disapproval that Arthur may have.
He interrupted her. "You and I aren't too different. When I became god, the first thing I did was stop my pursuit of power and tend to my loving family and kingdom. You have just done the same in your own way. It is because of that reason that I will ask you again. What are you here for, Celine Lithold?" He looked her straight in her eyes with his earthly green eyes that was questioning her deeply.
"I- I wish to become close to your daughter again. I feel something weird that I cannot describe within her presence but I only realized after she died in order for me to become god. I wish to correct my mistakes and treasure the moments I spend with her instead of pursuing Godhood,"Celine proudly stated.
"I am fine with this. I accept," Arthur said and Celine's eyes immediately shot up. She had expected the harshest rejection of her life. "But you must follow my conditions. Firstly, abandon your humanity and work with Valerians. If I call you to battle against humanity you have to respond." Celine had no problem following this condition, she never was close to humanity anyways.
"Secondly," Arthur continued. "Never lie to my daughter for as long as you know her. Tell her everything, even how this isn't your first time meeting her, or I will skin you alive for a thousand lifetimes. Thirdly, stop being indecisive and decide whether you truly love Aria or like her as a friend. It isn't good for either of you if you are still indecisive. Lastly, if you wish to pursue this relationship with my daughter then don't think of her as the same from your last life. This is a new Aria, treat her like a new friend and get close to her again. Never try and use her to recreate a past that cannot be relived. Create new memories," he concluded.
"Eh?"Celine questioned. His terms weren't necessarily difficult to adhere to. In fact, she planned on fulfilling most of these conditions anyways. Didn't he want somebody with a strong background to support his only child? Did he really support this relationship when he was potentially marrying his daughter off to a woman instead of a man? Weren't humans the Valerian archenemies?
Sensing the confusion, Arthur looked back at Celine. "I didn't always like you but it took dozens of lifetimes for me to understand something. Funnily enough, I realized that Aria will only ever be at her happiest when she is with you. No matter what I provide her with or if she marries another man. It's always you. That made me look into you and what I saw gave me immense respect for you. Bluntly, you are the most persistent and courageous dumbass I've ever seen. It's a good trait. It made you the first Blade Dancer," Arthur said with reverence. Those words, that title, it made Celine think of a memory far too long ago. The day she first met Aria and the day she became a Valerian soldier despite them being humanities arch nemesis