"That's… not necessary," Auriel said quickly. "I think we've seen enough for today."
"Nonsense!" Sophia said, waving her off. "We've only just begun!"
The day continued in much the same fashion, with Sophia dragging Auriel to increasingly dangerous and bizarre locations. They traversed a forest filled with carnivorous plants, crossed a rickety bridge over a chasm of boiling lava, and even explored a cave inhabited by a dragon.
By the time the sun began to set, Auriel was at her wit's end. She had spent the entire day reminding herself not to scream, cry, or otherwise react in a way that would shatter her image as a composed and powerful goddess.
Finally, Sophia announced that their last stop would be a field of glowing flowers that only bloomed at night. When they arrived, Auriel had to admit it was beautiful. The flowers glowed softly in shades of blue, purple, and gold, casting an ethereal light over the field.
"This is one of my favorite places," Sophia said, sitting down among the flowers. "I come here when I need to think."
Auriel hesitated before sitting down beside her. The soft glow of the flowers was soothing, and for the first time that day, she felt a sense of calm.
"Thank you for coming with me today," Sophia said, her voice unusually quiet. "I know I can be… a bit much. But I really do admire you, Goddess Auriel. You're incredible."
Auriel blinked, caught off guard by the sudden sincerity in Sophia's tone. "I… appreciate that," she said carefully.
Sophia smiled, her usual energy subdued. "I just wanted you to know that, no matter what happens, I'll always support you."
Auriel nodded, unsure of what to say. The moment felt strangely intimate, and she wasn't entirely comfortable with it.
"We should head back," she said after a moment.
Sophia agreed, and they made their way back to the temple in silence. As they walked, Auriel couldn't shake the feeling that the day had been a test of some sort—a test she wasn't sure she had passed.
By the time they returned, Auriel was too tired to think. She mumbled a quick goodnight to Sophia and retreated to her chambers, collapsing onto her bed with a groan.
"Chief God," she muttered into her pillow, "what did I ever do to deserve this?"
Auriel's rare moment of peace was rudely interrupted by the sound of loud footsteps and heated voices echoing through the hallway outside her chamber. She stirred, groaning as she tried to ignore the commotion. But the sound only grew louder, and then— CRASH—her door was kicked open, the splintered wood flying inward.
Auriel bolted upright in bed, her silver eyes wide with shock. Standing in the doorway was none other than Evelyn Greengrass, her armored figure imposing as ever. The princess's black hair was disheveled, and her green eyes burned with fury. Behind her, a handful of guards lingered nervously, clearly too intimidated to intervene.
"Evelyn?" Auriel exclaimed, scrambling to pull her blanket closer to her chest. "What are you doing?!"
"What am I doing?" Evelyn spat, stepping further into the room. "I could ask you the same thing, Goddess. Or should I say 'the biased judge'? Do you think I wouldn't notice your favoritism toward the others?"
Auriel blinked, stunned by the accusation. "Favoritism? What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me!" Evelyn's voice rose, making the guards wince from their place in the hallway. "First, you brush me off like I'm nothing, and now you're spending time alone with Amara and Sophia? Do you have any idea how humiliating that is for me?!"
Auriel sighed, trying to remain calm. "Evelyn, it's not like that. I was simply—"
"Save your excuses!" Evelyn interrupted, her fists clenching. "Do you know what people are saying? That I'm unworthy because the goddess hasn't given me her time. That I'm not a true contender for the throne."
Auriel opened her mouth to explain but hesitated. Evelyn's frustration was palpable, and the goddess realized that anything she said might only fan the flames. Why me? she thought bitterly.
Before Auriel could gather her thoughts, Lilith appeared in the doorway, her expression calm but her tone firm. "Princess Evelyn, that is enough. You know it is not your turn to meet with Goddess Auriel. Your behavior is unbecoming of a future ruler."
Evelyn turned her glare on Lilith, her green eyes blazing. "Unbecoming? Do not lecture me, Priestess. I have every right to confront the goddess about her bias. This process is supposed to be fair, isn't it?"
"The process is fair," Lilith replied coolly. "You are merely impatient."
"Impatient?!" Evelyn's voice rose another octave. "Do not patronize me, Lilith. I won't stand by while others take what should rightfully be mine!"
The two women squared off, their argument escalating as the tension in the room grew thicker. Auriel buried her face in her hands, groaning inwardly.
She had seen plenty of dramatic spats back in the divine realm, but this was something else entirely.
"Enough!" Auriel's voice cut through the air like a whip, silencing both Evelyn and Lilith.
She stood from her bed, her silver hair catching the light as she fixed them both with a stern glare.
"This bickering is getting us nowhere. Evelyn, I understand your frustration, but storming into my room and yelling at me is not the way to address it."
Evelyn's anger wavered, though she still held her ground. "Then what should I do, Goddess? Stand quietly in the shadows while the others outshine me?"
Auriel sighed, softening her tone. "No. You deserve a fair chance, just like everyone else. I was planning to meet with you again, but your impatience has made things… complicated."
Evelyn crossed her arms but said nothing, her expression stubborn.
Auriel turned to Lilith. "Lilith, I appreciate your efforts to keep things organized, but I think it's best if I handle this directly. Evelyn deserves to be heard."
Lilith's calm facade cracked slightly, her brows furrowing. "Goddess, I must protest. Granting her an audience outside of the schedule could set a bad precedent."
Auriel shook her head. "I'll take full responsibility. Please, Lilith, just give us a moment."
Lilith hesitated but finally relented, bowing slightly. "As you wish, Goddess. I will be just outside if you need me."
As Lilith exited the room, Evelyn shot her a triumphant smirk. Auriel sighed again, rubbing her temples. "Evelyn, sit down. Let's talk."
The princess hesitated for a moment before taking a seat in one of the chairs by the window. Her anger had diminished slightly, but her posture remained tense.
"I know this process feels unfair," Auriel began, sitting across from her. "But you must understand, I'm doing my best to evaluate all the candidates equally. It's not favoritism—it's necessity."
Evelyn frowned, her fingers drumming on the armrest of her chair. "And how exactly do you plan to evaluate me if you won't even give me a proper audience?"
Auriel met her gaze, her expression serious.
"You're right. I've been avoiding you, and for that, I apologize. But I need you to understand that this isn't personal. The weight of this decision is overwhelming, and I'm trying to approach it with care."
Evelyn's lips pressed into a thin line. "Then prove it. Spend time with me. Let me show you that I'm the best choice."
Auriel hesitated. Part of her wanted to refuse—Evelyn's temper was a clear red flag—but another part of her couldn't deny the validity of her argument. She had to give the princess a fair chance, no matter how challenging it might be.
"Fine," Auriel said at last. "But on one condition—you must promise to control your temper. If you want to be a ruler, you need to demonstrate composure and patience."
Evelyn looked like she wanted to argue but ultimately nodded. "Agreed."
Auriel nodded as well, her exhaustion creeping back in. "We'll arrange a time for your audience soon. For now, please leave me to rest."
Evelyn rose from her seat, her anger mostly replaced by determination. "Thank you, Goddess. I won't let you down."
As the princess left, Auriel sank back into her chair, feeling drained. She knew she'd made the right decision, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd just opened the door to even more chaos.
"Chief God," she muttered under her breath, "I hope you're enjoying this, because I certainly am not."
Auriel wanted to go back to sleep, but after what just happened, sleeping was a forgone concept for her. It would be a miracle if Auriel would even be able to close her eyes.
Maybe that was why, when she woke up the next day, Auriel felt like she was about to die and her body was about to give up. The aches she was facing did not feel normal either.
"Fuck it! I am a goddess. This is not supposed to be happening to me. Fuck you, you old woman! This is all your and your salty personality's fault."