Chapter 117 Past Memories: Aurelianne I

The following years were of twists and turns, passion but also heartbreaks.

Things changed a lot after Constantine and Caroline became King and Queen. With his newly-found position, he quickly began a sea of conquests, Caroline got pregnant and they celebrated it.

Most of Nova's time was spent in her town... neither she nor Stella could have believed the King's confession the moment he abdicated as the king.

Turns out the man was aware of their affair all along, Stella panicked a bit but eventually confessed that she loved Constantine with all her heart, she apologised for her affair and decided to accept any punishment that she'd receive, the rest of the concubines too prepared for their heads to roll. Much to their surprise... father-in-law and son-in-law laughed, leaving everyone in the royal court confused, all of the 'unfaithful' concubines were left a little... flabbergasted.

Constantine asked him how 'Barbara' and her children were doing to which his father-in-law said that wonderfully, now that he abdicated as a king, he could be with them a long time.

The entire Royal Court didn't understand, Stella immediately asked who this Barbara The King answeredr was that Barbara was a beautiful farmer he met during one of his hunts, she was a lady from a poor family on the outskirts of the kingdom and she wasn't a noble, hence... claiming her as a concubine would not only be a sad life for her, but he too realised that he felt better living in the wilderness with her than in the bustling capital; hence why he spent most of his time 'hunting'.

No one in the royal court could believe it, Stella and Caroline were the ones in most disbelief.

He said that he had realised her affair with his son-in-law from the first moment and that it hurt initially, but at that moment he already knew Barbara and was together with her just partly, feeling guilt over this secret to Stella mostly, but then he thought about something and faced Constantine, he asked Constantine to 'take care' of the royal court... and distract all of them just so it wouldn't feel suspicious that he left to hunt for such long periods.

A deal that Constantine readily accepted, the only one that knew of this arrangement... Swan.

Disbelief or not, it was done... the king having abdicated and leaving the throne to his daughter left for the outskirts where he would live with his beloved, Barbara, a lady at least thirty years younger than him and their two children.

The entire royal court was left with their mouths wide open, a total of ten concubines and a wife started to kick Constantine and Swan's butts, it eventually evolved into a massive orgy in which it was decided that they would all go and live with Isabella in her house.

If they were to join his royal court, it would be a bad image for him as the king to have taken all of the previous king's concubines...

Hence, in a way, Nova's days turned more lively, she now lived with her friends back in town, Stella included... but as the years passed and his son's conquests rendered the Kingdom into a fruitful future... many things occurred during the years.

Some of the concubines stopped engaging in their usual passion, due to age... they attended him as their husband when he came... but limited themselves to not show too much, for shame. For a woman, her beauty and appearance in front of her man would always be important and they couldn't just act the way they used to when the man they loved now looked more like their grandson, it hurt a lot.

Constantine reprimanded them saying that he didn't care, in fact... he kept having his usual intercourse with Isabella and Stella... who were still willing to go along, but it wouldn't be for too long.

One day she and Stella woke up in the same bed, she noticed that her friend was rather downcast and that was when Stella told her that her muscles were aching quite a bit, she was inmid-fiftiesfties while Isabella was in her late forties.

Constantine hurried back from the capital together with Caroline and a doctor... the doctor diagnosed Stella with Myositis, a disease that affected the muscles and the psyche... the doctor said there wasn't a definite cure for it, but that doing exercise and keeping a rather healthy outlook in life was usually a good way to go about it.

But it didn't work for Stella, she was depressed for different reasons, mainly... she thought she was too ugly for Constantine.

No amount of words and spoiling from him helped, the doctor said a few months later that it had developed into Cancer... and three months later, a few days from Constantine's twenty-fifth birthday, Stella passed away.

She never saw her son so heartbroken, not even when the incident with their children happened... it marked a turning point, not only was she sad because her deepest friend died but not only was Caroline devastated due to her missing mother but the concubines, Penelope... and even herself realised that were they all to start perishing one by one, that would be an impact too hard for him to take.

From that day on Constantine seemed to have changed, he became colder to everyone that wasn't his family... Stella had been one of the loves of his life, and since she passed away, a piece was missing and it would be too long before that piece was mended back in his heart. The Greenwood family perished one day for no apparent reason, Harrow Lionheart was found rotting in a trash bin in the capital... everybody knew who the cause was, he needed someone to kill but the country couldn't yet go to war against the greatest empire.

The Conquest became more ruthless, soon his son got a second wife, Phoebe Deliris... and it wasn't just any wife, this used to be the fiance of his deepest friend in the academy, Hector. He was questioned for this by Penelope and Caroline but it was Isabella/Nova who calmed them down since there was true love in there and since he met Phoebe, it was as if he was truly beginning to move on from Stella after many years of grief.

Moreover, Nova knew that Phoebe is also one of her daughters... Phoebe and Caroline's relationship was quite rocky as she expected, but eventually... her son fixed it up with a small orgy as always.

Another war broke loose between the two Kingdoms, Constantine and Hector fought to several ends, but Hector knew exactly what kind of rival Constantine was and even at a disadvantage he never fell. It was Phoebe who eventually convinced him to stop this war, but Constantine's greed wouldn't stop... for each of his hidden concubines that died during the years... his heart got colder.

There was only a handful of individuals who could still warm his heart, his wives, his children, his mother... and his master, but the latter would soon render another heavy blow on him.

Penelope took her own life during one of her son's campaigns, while he was away... the first one to receive her letter was Isabella... in the letter, she said that she couldn't bear to see her beloved destroying himself like that anymore and that she'd rather not be one of the causes... and so, as determined to her own decisions as always, she took her own life, but begged her to tell Constantine that she just went in a long trip on her own.

How could she possibly lie to her son? When he came back, after officially finding the Castile Empire, he received the most devastating blow after Stella's passing.

The blow was so devastating that he fell ill, an opportunity that his enemies used to attack the borders, sadly for them... Constantine was an emperor with a lot of prestige and his army was relentless, they held until he stood up once again like the Emperor he is.

Still, the most horrible blow he would receive was yet to come.

Isabella continued to have intercourse with her son even beyond the point where she should have... he kept seeking her body even after sixty years... as Nova, she was ageless... she realised that she wasn't as charming physically as she used to, their sex was slow and most romantic, she loved it. She refused to 'refuse' him.

But while Nova kept basking in the limitless love that she was offered, Isabella was twisting in pain and her own inferiority complex... Caroline, Phoebe and the newest addition, Lucille, another one of Nova's daughters from the western plains... they were all so devastatingly beautiful, charming... she felt reprieve in her childless life. She looked from faraway how they became incredible beings, merchants, artists... Casper was renowned in the entire kingdom, he married a prominent lady and had several children, she went to their marriage together with Constantine... she saw her son from far away being happy.

Katherine married, Gerald Married, they were all so happy... they even befriended Constantine's children with Isabella and Phoebe quite soon.

At this stage, aside from two remaining concubines who still lived with her and Caroline, no one knew of their relationship... he kept secretly coming to this house, giving love to these ladies that were still the most important to him, this was his secluded spot, his true 'home'.

Things only aggravated, Isabella was about to set up her limits... she was about to tell him that she didn't want to do it anymore, not because she didn't want to, but because it was unfair to his wives.

All of that crumbled when she realised she was pregnant again.

She and the two concubines couldn't believe it. She was sixty-ish years old, how could she be pregnant?! the news for her was terrific, for her son they were like fresh water in the desert, that was until the doctor said that she was highly likely to pass away during this pregnancy, it was extremely dangerous.

The doctor advised aborting the baby and upon realising the danger, so did Constantine, he couldn't bear to receive one of those blows, Stella and Penelope... Swan... they had hurt too much, it was too much to bear, he wouldn't be able to take it if his mother died early too.

But Nova and Isabella refused adamantly.

On the night of her decision, Toki appeared again... even he, the Time God had tried to talk her against doing this procedure... she would die.

That night Nova told him to mind his own business and embraced her grandchildren to sleep.

Inside, however... she was scared... dying scared her so much, she didn't understand, why were mortals so afraid of dying?

It was then that she realised she'd lose everything... everything she created, her friends, her family... Stella and Penelope had hurt so much, yet now she was going to lose everything, even her son, her children.

She didn't want to die.

**

**

A few weeks into the pregnancy and thankfully they weren't triplets or twins, it was just a single baby, it made her sigh in relief, her husband/son abandoned the front to be back with her together with his wives who blindly believed she once again had a tryst with some unknown man... something Caroline joked about with her. They were even more surprised that she could get pregnant at this age.

Three months into it and she started to feel severely ill, once again the doctors advised aborting the baby, but she wouldn't ever kill her child, she took it like a goddess, suffering by her son's side, as long as he was here, she could bear anything.

Five months... she couldn't take anymore... she would die if she didn't give birth but it was too early, she felt life slipping away as Constantine's tears fell on her hand.

"Mother..." He begged her to reconsider, biting his lips at his own selfishness, desiring his child's death, so long as he could have his mother a few more years.

"I can do it..." She said, determined.

"You're going to die!"

"I don't care... I will give birth to this baby, son... is our baby." Isabella and Nova knew no rest, no reprieve. She'd give birth to her son's children, it was her biggest pleasure, no one could deny her this pleasure, it was greater than the most powerful orgasm, to give birth to his progeny.

She caressed his face once again as she always used to, her hand was so weak this time.

"You have become so handsome... you're so perfect... I had never... never ever seen such a perfect mortal in my life." She giggled in pride, she knew he didn't understand, but it didn't matter.

"Mortal...?"

"Yes, you're the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, more beautiful than the endless stars, space and time... you're someone that loves to the limit, this secret art that I desired to learn, you have dominated it... taught it to me... sometimes you make mistakes, but... most of the time you're so perfect. Son, I love you so much, you have no idea." Tears welled up, she was afraid to lose this love, once she died... as she promised to herself, she'd compress all of her memories and experiences... then she'd perish, what would happen to her love? would it disappear?

Constantine thought his mother was having delusions and on the verge of life and death.

"Even while holding the endless stars with my mantle... it couldn't compare to when I held you back then... when you were a kid."

"Mother..."

"It couldn't compare to when I held you... when you sold your first painting back then... to me."

"..."

"It could compare to when we made love for the first time... I never felt so satisfied... not even when my keres conquered endless stars..."

"When I held our children, Constantine I was so happy... that everything I previously mentioned... couldn't compare to it."

"M-Mother..." He didn't know what she was saying, but this was like the deepest love confession he had ever heard.

"That's why I will give birth to our baby... even if it is the last thing I do in this life."

"..."

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"You have made me understand what love is, now... I'm so envious of mortals, they're able to feel this their entire lives."

"You're a beautiful goddess, mother... you are a goddess sent from the stars for me."

Nova blushed and nodded happily.

"Can you call me Nova?"

"Huh?"

"Can you say my name... and say that you love me? at least once..."

"I love you, Nova."

"Thank you~"

Her eyes fluttered closed and she fell asleep, Constantine planted a deep kiss on her forehead, believing the worst.

When the eight-month came upon, it was a miracle... the doctors couldn't believe it... Isabella should have been dead.

"Okay, mommy, push!" The nurse said, nervous... the Emperor was looking straight at her with a tear-stained visage, and the Empresses were nearby, holding his shaking body.

He could already feel it, he was going to lose his mother today... there was still a possibility that she survived as they said, but it was so infimal it could very well be nonexistent, the doctors said they would just open her belly to take the baby and she would die... but Isabella struggled and denied, she said she would hold her baby in her arms victorious!

Isabella and Nova pushed with everything they had, whatever vitality was left that hadn't already been sucked by the baby.

"UGH!!" She grunted, utterly exhausted and this time it was so much easier than before, her baby came out like a wonder, turns out that due to her previous birth her vagina had already adjusted and hence it was easier.

Everybody laughed in joy, but when she lifted her hands to hold her baby... she felt it... her life slipping again.

'N-No...' Her eyes shivered and she sent a glare her son's way, a single gaze was enough to convey what was happening, and he sprang to her like a madman, crying.

"Mother!"

She wanted to keep her eyes open, but she didn't even have the strength to lift her eyelids, there was no strength... her mortal body was powerless, empty without a single wisp of vitality left.

"S-Son..." The last thing he saw was her son crying in despair, she knew it was going to be like this... but he was in good arms.

Nova cried... she cried until she could no more, trying to recall her entire life and convincing herself she was happy, her mortal mind shivered, asking why she needed to do this sacrifice, why she needed to be the only one to die while her other beings lived this happiness and love that she had created, why? 'It is mine!' but in the end, Nova decided to follow her own heart and do what was correct... her powers activated as she smiled with tears, engulfing her entire existence in a mere infinitesimal mote of light that was planted in Isabella's soul.

And like that, Nova ceased to exist, leaving behind all of her existence to the Novas of the countless timelines she created with this paradox.

'Love and Happiness, I transmit them to you, me.'

'I have received it, me... rest well, I will love him and take care of him, with all my heart.'

With that assurance, the Nova that caused the paradox disappeared together with said Paradox, returning the universe back to normal as 'Space' recovered its energy.

Everything happened in front of a wrathful God of Time and a Goddess of Space who glared at him, daring him to attack; she soon recovered Isabella's soul before she was hunted by the reapers and the cycle once again repeated, but this time, she received all of Nova's experiences and love thus breaking the paradox.

**

**

Holding his baby, Constantine ignored his mother's lifeless body and laughed with cascading tears, pinching his little nose as the baby laughed, it portrayed an eerie yet lively atmosphere that Caroline, Phoebe and Lucille looked at in grief and sadness.

The sight of a broken man who tried as much as he could to see the positivity in the negative.

This baby would later come to be known as August De Castille, the Emperor's favourite; a  renowned merchant of flowers and painter... the Emperor's younger brother.