“Demons of the realm, citizens of Clan Garga, I greet you on this auspicious day,” the goddess in white spoke, her voice carrying even to the farthest reaches of the city square.

  Saniya gaped. When she looked at Darsh and the village mother, they wore the same stunned expression.

  It was her. Her!

  The goddess Ashani! A living being from the Age of Gods. A figure of legend so famous that even Saniya knew of her exploits.

  For her to be here, speaking to them as though they were her own people? Tears welled in her eyes. Could this really be happening?

  No. Maybe it wasn’t her.

  “Some of you have traveled from the very tip of the realm to be here today,” the goddess continued, “though I do hope that my Ash Gates have helped with this.”

  In her heart, Saniya knew. It was the casual way she talked of bridging impossible distances. Realms, even, if the rumors were true. It was the ease with which she conducted herself. Her perfect, pure white skin that no makeup could achieve.

  No, this was no imposter.

  And then, as though reading her thoughts—or maybe she truly had read her thoughts—Ashani spoke again.

  “I, as many of you may have guessed, am Ashani. Some of you call me a goddess, and though that is the furthest thing from what I am, I doubt my words will sway you at this point.”

  She smiled gently, chuckling to herself.

  Gods! Even her smile is divine.

  And was it not exactly like a deity to deny their own greatness? How amazing could she be? She seemed so serene, so majestic.

  “At long last, it is with great joy that I officiate the union of two very special people in my life. Some of you may know the groom as the Akh Nara, but I know him by many other names. Ekavir. Sarvaak of Garga. Prince and son to Maion and Shari Garga.”

  Ashani extended her hand, and another figure emerged into view.

  He bore himself with regal grace, clad in the most lavish clothing Saniya had ever seen—a beautiful silk robe of gold, so gilded it shone under the sun. It was dotted with more jewels than Saniya even knew existed, all glinting against the sunset, making his every movement shine.

  “The Akh Nara,” Darsh whispered beside her. “I can’t believe that’s really him.”

  “I know, right?” Saniya replied. She shuddered at the thought. The man they had traveled with to Samar Patag years ago had been none other than the Akh Nara himself—a living deity. And she had spoken to him!

  She had traveled with him, told him about her life. Perhaps it was best she hadn’t known his identity at the time. Her heart might very well have stopped then and there.

  Did he still remember her? she wondered. No, of course not. Someone of such importance and stature would never remember someone as insignificant as her.

  But even still, she had spoken to the Akh Nara himself! That was a miracle in itself.

  Saniya beamed as the Akh Nara waved to the crowd, and she found herself waving back unconsciously, as though he’d been waving at her and none other.

  The crowd, which had just barely been containing itself, erupted into a deafening din of cheers and roars, and Saniya was right there with them. The Akh Nara was the most loved person in the realm, was he not?

  Goddess Ashani waited patiently for the crowd to settle, and when it finally did, she gestured to her left.

  “Now, I introduce someone who was a stranger to many of you not one year ago,” Ashani continued. “A being from another realm, belonging to a race that many demons had neither seen nor heard of. Yet in this last year, I daresay every soul in the realm knows the name Maiya.

  “The human woman who transformed Clan Garga all on her own, shepherding it from the brink of oblivion into the flourishing nation it is today. Every new building you see, every highway that connects distant villages, and every field now growing crops in abundance—it is her doing.

  “And so, it is with great pride that I ask you to welcome Maiya.”

  To Saniya’s surprise, the shouts and cheers that thundered through the square were no less in intensity than the reception the Akh Nara had received.

  Nor was the fair-skinned woman with red hair any less radiant than the Akh Nara himself—something Saniya had thought impossible. After all, what mortal could compete with a deity?

  She was beautiful in every sense of the word, but it was the strong sort of beauty that belonged to a true Warrior. The kind that Saniya could only dream about. That beauty was enhanced by the perfect amount of makeup, making her look every bit as divine as the two beings beside her.

  And then there was the dress.

  Adorned in a golden shimmering veil and a gown so voluminous it required an entourage of servants just to hold it aloft as she walked, it was the most stunning dress Saniya had ever laid eyes on. She didn’t even know they made dresses like that! Where did she even get that?

  She looked like a goddess—like Ashani herself, and suddenly, Saniya felt a knot in her chest.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Nobody could compare to Ashani’s serene aura—that much was obvious. Yet Maiya was truly breathtaking. The most beautiful being Saniya had ever laid eyes on.

  Saniya looked down at her own calloused hands and despaired. It wasn’t fair that such beautiful people could exist in the world.

  She knew she shouldn’t feel that way. She was of an exotic species who lived an entire realm away.

  Even still, Saniya couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anger at Maiya. Why couldn’t she be the one marrying the Akh Nara? She’d talked with him and traveled with him, hadn’t she?

  The feeling was fleeting, gone almost as soon as it surfaced, drowned by the shame that overtook her. She wanted to drown just for thinking it.

  She, a village girl, a nobody, marrying the Akh Nara? She didn’t even deserve to speak with the Akh Nara, let alone wed him.

  Yet her mind wandered. What was it like to be betrothed to such a glorious, terrifying being? She had heard the stories: of the horns that sprouted from his head when he fought, of entire armies laid waste by his power.

  She shivered. Maybe… maybe she shouldn’t be jealous after all. Being betrothed to such a being sounded terrifying. Suddenly she pitied Maiya. How difficult must it be to stand in the presence of an entity like that every day?

  Saniya decided then and there that she was perfectly happy where she was.

  “As the last living being of the Prime Imperium, it is the honor of the several thousand years of my life to officiate the marriage of Sarvaak of Garga and Maiya of Hiranya as husband and wife. As per Gargan tradition, I ask the groom to present the bride with the mantle of the Rajni of Clan Garga…”

  A giant four-armed Bairan whom Saniya guessed was Cirayus the Ravager handed the Akh Nara a necklace—more of a garland made of gold—which he placed around the red-haired Maiya’s neck, fitting it over the delicate-looking veil.

  “As the Rajni has accepted the mantle, she will now do the same for her Raja.”

  A fair-skinned woman, equally as gorgeous, handed Maiya an even larger necklace that looked heavy enough to give Saniya a hard time. Maiya, however, accepted it with grace, and placed it over the Akh Nara’s neck.

  “With this, I declare the union between them complete. May their union last forever.”

  The plaza erupted in a deafening roar. So loud that Saniya had to plug her ears, even though she wanted to clap, even as she shouted and cheered along with them. Darsh did the same.

  The village mother’s reaction was more subdued, though Saniya had never seen her clap so hard in her life. And were those tears streaming from the corners of her eyes?

  Almost before goddess Ashani had finished speaking, however, the Akh Nara rushed to his betrothed and swept her off her feet, twirling her—her enormous gown fluttering in the air—then set her down and drew her into a great embrace.

  No, not just an embrace, as was proper during ceremonies such as these.

  He kissed her on the lips, deeply and for a long time, until the crowd began to blush on their behalf, excited gossip spreading in the face of this scandalous display.

  Was this really the Akh Nara who had destroyed entire armies? Saniya had to wonder.

  He seemed so gentle, so kind. Maybe he wasn’t so terrible after all, she thought, feeling the pang of jealousy flare again in her chest. The shouts and cheers continued until, at last, the newlyweds broke their embrace.

  The Akh Nara and his new wife waved to the crowd.

  The perfect couple. A match blessed by the gods themselves.

  Raising a hand for calm, the Akh Nara raised his voice and spoke, his words projected across the entire plaza by some unknown magic. Saniya strained to listen to his every word, hardly daring to breathe.

  “It humbles me to see all of you assembled here today to witness our marriage, long overdue as it is. This past year has been difficult for you in ways I can scarcely imagine, and I echo the goddess Ashani’s words. None of this would have been possible without my lovely Maiya.”

  He waited until the clapping subsided, then continued. “In recognition of the incredible work my Rajni has done—work none among us, myself included, could equal, let alone surpass—I hereby name Maiya Rajni of Clan Garga.” He took off his necklace and placed it around her neck.

  “Not merely in name, but in position and power, with all responsibilities and authority that accompany the role. She will be the leader of our clan. May her reign be long and prosperous.”

  The crowd watched with bated breath as Ashani produced a golden, gem-studded crown—a crown that should, by all rights, sit upon the Akh Nara’s head, and placed it instead upon the redhead.

  Hesitant claps echoed here and there, but it was a feeble thing.

  Maiya seemed unbothered, for when she stepped forward and spoke, Saniya was struck by the melody of her voice.

  “People of Clan Garga,” Maiya said, “I stand before you not as a foreigner, not as a human, but as one of you. Though I have spent much of my life in the human realm, I have never felt more at home than I do among you—among the glorious people of Clan Garga. It has been my honor and my privilege to serve you this past year in my Raja’s stead.

  Though I do not feel I deserve the praise my beloved has bestowed upon me, I will continue to strive to ensure a nation of prosperity and peace. I swear to work hand in hand with the Akh Nara to usher in a golden age of unity among demonkind. I know how much of a shock this must come, accepting the mantle of Rajni in my husband’s stead. Yet, you cannot know how much it means to me to be accepted into your culture. So I thank you. I thank each and every one of you, and I swear to all the gods I will not let you down.”

  This time, the cheers were as deafening as ever, and Saniya wondered how they hadn’t all gone hoarse by now—her own hands ached from clapping.

  When the clamor finally subsided, the Akh Nara extended his arms and spoke again.

  “As you know, my goal is, and has always been, to unite the realm—to bring all of demonkind into the fold of one nation, one empire if you will—while retaining the cultural identities that make Kothis and Ghaels, Nagas, red demons and gray demons who they are. We will respect the long, rich heritage of each of our people, all while combining us into something new. A united demonkind as never before.”

  He gestured for silence, cutting off another round of cheers before they could begin. This time, when he spoke, his voice was somber, devoid of the optimism he’d just shown. “The road ahead is fraught with peril—not only from the inevitable friction that will arise among our peoples—but because a force greater than anything we have imagined works to undo all that we love. They have hidden themselves across time and space. They call themselves the Fateweavers, and left unchecked, they promise to bring an end to everything we know.

  I tell you this not to incite panic, but to call you to arms. For as long as such an enemy knocks at our door, we cannot afford internal politics. We cannot afford the hatred that has plagued our clans for centuries. Only by standing together, by showing the world the best of who we are will we overcome this challenge. My people, there is nothing to fear, for we are well equipped to handle this calamity. Against a united demonkind, this foe will have no recourse but to be crushed under our heel, as we have crushed others who threatened our way of life before.”

  He raised his fist, and the roar that answered him was so loud that Saniya was forced to plug her ears. She didn’t know what to make of it—she didn’t understand what the Fateweavers were, but his conviction was contagious. If he claimed they had everything under control, who was she to distrust him?

  Besides, there was a whole week of marriage celebrations to look forward to! Rumor had it there would even be huge floppy-eared animals, too!

  By the time Saniya’s hands had turned red and swollen from all the clapping, the Akh Nara’s warning had been all but forgotten…

  As Vir watched the cheering crowd, as he felt the reassuring pressure of Maiya’s soft hand in his, all he felt was guilt. Guilt… and terror at the horrible truth of what was to befall the realm.

  For if what he had just discovered in Janak’s primordial chambers was true, if the Crown Chakra visions the old god had shown him weren’t lies, then the Fateweavers—those existences from beyond the fabric of time and space—weren’t simply another foe to defeat.

  How could they be when the realms—all of them—had but a few short years left to live?

  How were they supposed to fight an enemy who'd already won... centuries before he was born?