Chapter 122 - The Golden Fire Queen

The quest for power had to be put aside for Amanda and Christopher's wedding was a day away. 

Amanda was in Cassy's room, fitting her wedding dress, and upon looking at the mirror she nearly cried in dismay. Her gown was a little awkwardly tight. 

"Damn, Amanda. I was away from Aeros for just two weeks, taking care of Plethora and here you are, gaining weight!" Said Cassy, shaking her head at the sight of her soon to be sister-in-law. "What in the world have you been eating?"

Amanda's eyes rolled, thinking about what she had been putting into her mouth. She had to admit that she had been having strange cravings as of recently.

"Or was it the fruit?" She asked out loud, thinking about the giant fruits they brought back from Arakis. She literally ate it all, not even sharing it with Christopher. 

She thought she had gone crazy when she returned. The fruit seemed to call on her every day until it was all gone. 

"Ummmm, geez. I don't know what I was thinking. I swear the number of exercises I had done should have been able to burn all the calories," she said. She turned sideways and could seriously see a little lump of her tummy. 

"I'm dead. I'm totally screwed," she said before hissing in anger, frustrated at herself. She pinched her abdomen and said, "I have belly fats now."

"Your - your not pregnant. Are you?" Cassy asked, utterly doubting her small belly was merely fat. 

"No, Cassy. I told you. We don't get pregnant, not unless we ask both our spirits, me and Christopher, to grand us with a child," revealed Amanda. She shook her head and added, "I can't be pregnant."

"Okay. If you say so." Cassy walked closer to her and suggested that she take off the gown, "I'll bring it back to the seamsters and ask them to make an inch adjustment."

She held on to Amanda's arm and said, "Don't worry. My brother will love you, even if you gain weight. Because they say you are happy when you gain weight!"

"Not when you are about to have your wedding - Cassy!" She objected, stomping her feet. 

They both wound up laughing, but Cassy did her best to make Amanda feel comfortable. 

In the afternoon, Christopher decided to take Amanda out for a ride. Flying up in the sky, he brought her to her mother's grave for some last blessing. 

The gravesite was not like any other. Five miles from behind Aeros' castle was an exclusive cemetery for all families of the ruler of the land. The place was surrounded by grills and the gate had a falcon steel at the top of the arched gate. 

'Right, the flying men of Aeros used to be associated with falcons when there were plenty that lived in the land,' she reminded herself.

Standing in front of a mausoleum, Christopher entered the house-like structure of their family's final place of rest. 

'Agatha Wife of Theo, the fifth ruler of Aeros,' she read as soon as they found the tomb, specific for Christopher's mother. She was suddenly reminded how he had lied about his last name. Apparently, they had no last names in Pelagy!

'So much for Christopher Towns,' she sighed. Nonetheless, creating formal last names for all people of Aeros was underway. Thanks to Amanda's recommendation.

"Mother," said Christopher. He kneeled down and wiped the dust on the tomb's name before he said, "Mother, I am getting married to the woman I love."

He turned to Amanda and brought her closer to his mother's tomb. After getting back up he said, "this is Amanda."

"Mother, I wish you were here. I wish you could see the happiness in my face and in Aeros, the changes that I have been telling you about," He said. "Isn't she a beauty? Not only that... she is very hot... literally - Ahh!"

He obviously got a slap on his arm. 

After some time, Amanda suddenly noticed how Christopher turned emotional. He said, "Mother, I miss you a lot - me and Cassy. I wish you did not have to go."

Amanda caressed Christopher's back and hugged his arm. She could feel his pain. While it had been years since his mother's passing, she remembered how their family was heartbroken by the illness she caught. 

It was a kind of disease that none of their healers could treat. She recalled Christopher saying that his father sought for all the powerful healers of Pelagy, but there was no answer to her illness. It was a mystery altogether. 

Paying her respects, Amanda bowed her head in front of the tomb and said, "Hello Lady Agatha. It's nice to meet you. My name is Amanda Fisher."

"Yes... I have a last name, for I am from earth. I hope it's fine."

"I am the luckiest girl in the world to meet Christopher and be fated to him. Thank you for bringing him life into this world and for teaching him to have a good heart... I hope you will accept me."

***

While Christopher and Amanda were pouring their hearts out, someone from another universe, resting on the moon, was a woman with white hair was looking at a small pond in the back of her home. 

Her hand was seemingly reaching for the water, seeing the image of her son and a woman whom he said would be wedded wife. 

A tear fell down her cheek as she said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Another woman came from behind her and held her hand. The other woman said, "Supreme, it was for the best. You have pretended to be their kind for so long, exhausting your powers just because you fell in love with one of thier kind."

Seeing their supreme unaffected, the woman said, "If you did not leave. They would have noticed how you did not age. It was for the best. We don't know if your husband would have accepted you or not."

The woman whom was called as supreme wiped the wetness on her face. She said, "Eternal youth is a curse. Whoever said it was a bliss. How I wish... I was never a witch."

She gave one last glance at the pond before the image faded out. She said, "I miss you too... my son. Every day - you and your sister."

***

The next day, Amanda woke up very early to fit her wedding dress. She had been nervous about it overnight. 

She quickly left Christopher's room and woke Cassy up so she can fetch her dress for her. It was after half an hour that she was finally able to fit into her gown. Fortunately, it turned out well. She ended up letting out a heavy sigh of relief. 

"Thank goodness, I don't look like a sausage anymore," she remarked, leaving her and Cassy boisterously laughing. 

"You might as well get ready now. I'll ask the servants to help you get ready," said Cassy. "Wedding happens in three hours."

Amanda was given a special wash, a ceremonial bath by the servants, and upon her return to her chamber, she was lathered with special scented oils before finally getting dressed. 

Aeros had a lot of gold and thus, gold significantly accessorized her that day. She wore a golden crown that practically looked like fire, and diamonds branched out to every edge.

Her necklace was solid gold, flat against the crook of her neck and leaves of gold strings, with dangling diamonds hung at the center of her chest. 

Amanda wore a lovely tube-cut ballroom wedding gown with several streaks of golden rays that, when looked closely, it was evident that streaks signified fire. Her gown had a long tail with the same kind of embellishments. 

And for the final touch, Amanda had a little of gold dust, powdered against her skin, allowing her to glow brightly against the sun.

The servants opened the windows to let her shine even further and after looking herself at the mirror, she said, "Wow. I look like a queen!"

Speaking to her co-masters, Amanda said in her head, "Guys, where are you? You have to see me. I look so beautiful."

It was the masters cue that the wedding was an hour away. They appeared before Amanda one by one as the minutes passed. 

The servants were already used to the presence of the masters of the earth. Seeing them come about from inside Amanda's room, they merely distance themselves. 

Taara and Brody were the last one to arrive and by the sight of Amanda, Taara said, "Amanda. You are like a dream. A golden fire queen!"

She hugged Amanda from behind and kissed her bare back before she said, "I'm so happy for you, my friend. You are lonely no more."

Trisha did the same, hugging Amanda from the side and said, "Love conquers all. Remember this very day, Amanda. For this union between you and the master of water will give you both strength."

"And us, seeing this happiness in your eyes - in our eyes, we will work harder together to conquer the evil that is coming our way," said Abasi. 

"I second the motion," said Brody. "I still want to marry Taara and have kids of my own."

The masters all nodded. They all want the same future.. That very day, at the sight of Amanda, was an inspiration to them all.