The little goddess

Daren rushed to the stables, followed by Jared who kept reassuring him that he would look for Candace.

"Your majesty, wait! Lady Candace told me she just went outside for a walk! It's understandable, isn't it? After all, she's been locked up in the castle for more than a week, and she was also poisoned… maybe she needed to get some fresh air."

Daren ignored him and continued to walk with firm steps. Both anger and apprehension burned in his gaze.

"Your majesty! I’m sorry… I thought that she had your permission!" Jared continued. "I understand that you are worried, but you can't go outside unescorted, what if something happens to you?"

Daren saddled his horse, impassive.

"I know that you are very much in love with Lady Candace, but you can’t..."

The emperor turned and glared at the chief of the guards, which fell silent.

"I don't love her. Is that clear?"

Jared said nothing more and nodded several times.

Daren mounted his horse. "Give orders to look for her in the city, I'll go ahead," he said, before leaving the castle.

He rode through the streets, ignoring the surprised looks of the townspeople, and searched every corner.

Damn! Where are you, little demon?

He tried to check in the park next to the large square, at the tables of the small shops, and even in the panoramic points where he imagined the girl might have stopped.

Candace, where are you?

It seemed to him that he was chasing a ghost, an elusive existence.

At one point, a bad feeling invaded him.

She won't have returned to the Roliands... will she? Maybe it's true that they were the ones who poisoned her... maybe she wanted revenge... or maybe she wanted to go back to them because she didn’t like her current life...

He tightened his grip on the bridle and turned his head towards the road which led to the Roliand’s house.

Small snowflakes had begun to fall gently from the sky. Daren looked around, as if hoping the snow dance might lead him to Candace, and noticed that a group of children had gathered nearby and were looking at him with amazed eyes.

"it's the emperor! It's really him in the flesh," they were muttering.

Daren realized at that moment that the looks of the children weren't the only ones on him, and felt ridiculous. He, the cold and detached emperor who ruled Intial with impassive severity, was now reduced to a mediocre man who had even gone so far as to go out unescorted into the snow.

All because of a woman.

What am I doing? he wondered, finally realizing how silly his behavior had been.

And what if she went back to the Roliands? Who am I to stop her? We have no relationship... the only thing that binds us is her blackmail towards me.

It was true. There was nothing between him and Candace.

He himself had put a barrier between them, forcing her to keep distance and to not try to reach his heart in any way. And Candace had respected that, she had never done anything to tie him to her, to control him. She hadn't created any bond with him.

Daren couldn't have hoped for a better future wife, couldn't have wished for a more free and unfeeling relationship.

But in that moment, he felt the idea tearing him apart.

Why Candace did nothing to make their bond stronger? It was her who kissed him the first time, it was her who proposed to be his wife. Could she have done it just to get his attention? Was it possible that she really wanted only the empress position?

Was it possible that her smiles and her words were only the result of calculated actions?

Was she really such a terrible demon?

In looking for an answer to that so painful question, Daren recalled Candace’s smiling face, and for a moment that was replaced by the livid face of a maiden, streaked with tears.

He put a hand on his face, wondering if he'd had a vision or something.

What was that? he wondered. He immediately looked around. He couldn't have dreamed, maybe that hallucination could have been caused by Candace's powers? Maybe she was nearby?

He searched again, moving to the edge of the city. A group of guards joined him and helped him continue the search. As the sun began to set, Daren suggested to return to the castle. He had no intention of giving up, but Candace might have returned in the meantime. If he hadn't found her there, he would have gone straight to the Roliands without hesitation.

It no longer mattered to him what kind of bond there was between them. He had decided that he was going to make Candace the future empress, and he wasn't going to allow any kind of second thoughts on her part.

When he was near the castle, he saw a figure coming from the opposite direction, and heard a melody wafting through the air:

“She was surrounded by roses and danced,

she was happy and she didn't know it.

But the snake came and bit her, and darkness was born in her heart.

Now she dances with demons with grudge as her companion,

now she weeps and despairs as she piles skulls under her feet.

She is the maiden of light with the darkest heart of all.

She's the maiden of light, fallen from heaven.”

He remembered that sad song well, and he would have recognized that voice among a thousand.

It was Candace’s voice.

The girl must have seen him from afar, because she quickened her pace and welcomed him with a smile.

"Daren.” She pronounced his name with an unusual delicacy. “Is everything okay?"

She was surrounded by large snowflakes that had settled in her hair, creating a breathtaking contrast especially with the red in her eyes. Daren thought she was as beautiful as few other things in the world.

Though a great sense of relief washed over him, his expression darkened.

He couldn't ignore the fact that she had disappeared without telling him anything.

"Where have you been?" he asked coldly. The guards beside him shuddered to see him so furious.

Candace's gaze went from surprised to sharp. Daren knew she would never feel intimidated by him, but seeing her flaunt that look in response to his concerns made him angrier.

"I had a promise to keep, didn't I?" she said, pulling aside her cloak a little and revealing a thin little girl with big eyes.

The child hid her face in Candace's dress and began to shiver, and Candace gently patted her head.

"Don't worry,” she said. “You have nothing to fear. Daren is a friend, you're safe."

The emperor continued to stare at the child without understanding.

Candace then bent down to the little girl’s height and asked her to extend her hand. The child obeyed and Candace took her hand in hers, showing it to the emperor. A soft glow began to radiate from the child’s hand, and small tufts of grass began to sprout from the concrete beneath her bare feet.

Candace then looked at Daren, smugly.

"She's the little goddess you were searching for, your majesty."

Daren, incredulous, dismounted from his horse and approached the little girl, who immediately hid behind Candace again, and said in a weak voice: "I want to be with Lady Candace."

The emperor stared at the lady, who seemed uncharacteristically delighted at that display of affection.

"So be it," Daren declared, before inviting them to enter the castle.

Eldan came to greet them, visibly relieved to see that Candace was safe and sound.

"Eldan…" the emperor told him as soon as they were close. "Instruct all servants to treat this child with the utmost respect, and then ensure that the good news spreads throughout the realm."

"What news, your majesty?"

Daren shot another look at the little girl who still hadn't released Candace's hand.

"The incarnation of the Goddess of Creation has finally manifested."

* * *

The citizens of Intial welcomed the happy news with joy, and in the squares groups of people gathered to celebrate and sing the praises of the Goddess of Creation, who had blessed them again with her incarnation.

Bonfires were lit in the nearby countryside as a symbol of purification, of driving away evil in favor of good.

Happiness and light-heartedness reigned supreme, together with the eager anticipation of the emperor's wedding, announced for the beginning of the following month.

In the days that followed the announcement about the little goddess, Daren often surprised Candace watching the festive crowd from the large windows of the castle with a soft smile on her face, together with the child that she had found.

The little one didn't leave Candace's side and seemed to trust only her. The castle staff and the population had taken this behavior as a signal that the future empress was well liked and blessed by the goddess.

Daren had talked to Candace about that, asking her how she had managed to find the child, but she had replied vaguely: "I told you: demons and gods perceive each other. Dia was in a bad situation, and I just helped her out and brought her to you. Shouldn't you just be grateful to me?"

"Dia?" Daren had asked her.

Candace had caressed the head of the little girl sitting next to her. "This little one doesn't have a name. When we first met, she asked me to give one to her… she reminded me of a diamond in the rough. So, I chose "Dia".

"I like it!" the child had exclaimed. "Lady Candace has good taste!"

The little girl had begun to talk more, and it seemed she was finally feeling safe, especially when she was in Candace's presence.

The servants have taken a liking to her already, including Jared and Eldan. When the chief of the guards happened to meet Dia in the corridors or in the garden, he would stop for a while to play with her or tell her stories about enemies he'd fought in the past. Eldan, on the other hand, seemed to had taken Dia’s education to heart, and he had begun to make her study a little.

There were no children in the castle, and Daren thought that was probably the cause of all that excitement.

Marcel and Erika were the only ones who treated the child with absolute respect, just as if she were an adult.

"She's still the goddess’ incarnation, you shouldn't be taking all these confidences," Marcel had observed.

Daren hadn't been able to argue anything. He himself, along with Galiel, who kept his austere and impeccable aura as the worthy butler of the castle, treated Dia coldly, but not out of respect or any similar reason.

I need to talk to Candace.

That was the only thought that pervaded him, the only thing that seemed important to him at that moment.

He didn't have time to deal with the incarnation of the goddess or anything like that. His mind wasn't focused enough.

But Dia was always with Candace, and he hadn't had a chance to talk to her yet. He couldn't let go of the cold, austere gaze he gave Candace when they passed each other in the corridors, and he felt that the situation would never get over.

* * *

One night when he couldn't sleep, Daren got out of bed and looked for a long time at the snowy landscape outside the window. It was all so peaceful and tranquil, so beautiful it was almost unreal. The snow enhanced the green of the leaves, and the flowers that sprouted from it looked like little gems.

Daren had never noticed such details. It was as if he had only recently begun to really see things around him. As if his heart had been stuck in an eternal winter and the ice was beginning to melt.

He took a long sigh and then decided to take a walk in the corridor, wrapped in silence. There, adorned by the moonlight that came from the corridor window, he found Candace.

She was looking at the night sky beyond the glass, lost in contemplating who knows which star. She was wearing a nightie over her nightgowns, and her hair was loose and untamable as usual.

Daren felt momentarily afraid to talk to her, but he pushed that feeling away and started to get close to the lady.

Candace’s red eyes drifted to him as soon as she heard him, and at first Daren saw pure killer instinct shine through them.

"Daren..." Candace murmured after a few seconds. The sinister gleam in her eyes faded a bit. "It's you..."

"Who did you think I was?" he asked her.

Is she afraid of something? Is it because of the poisoning incident?

"Oh, nobody in particular."

"Lies." Daren moved closer, until he was beside her. He reached out his hand to hers and grabbed it without hesitation.

"I can't take it anymore, Candace."

Suddenly he felt exhausted, as if he had been chasing something unattainable until then, without ever taking a breath.

Why did he have those feelings in that moment? He had always moved forward without hesitation, trampling every emotion, and hiding them from others. He was strong. Stronger than anyone else. And he could always carry on no matter what.

Candace didn't seem in the least shaken by his words. "Are you tired of playing with a demon, Daren?" she released her hand and placed her palms on Daren’s cheeks, forcing him to look into her eyes.

It had been a while since Daren had seen menace in those irises, and now he can clearly perceive the cruel malice imprinted in every nuance of these.

"Don't worry, I won't hesitate to disappear from your life when I've achieved my goal. Until then, you'll have to keep playing with me…"

"I don’t want!" Daren's voice had left his throat higher than usual and with a hint of… fear.

Candace's gaze, the cruel gaze of a ruthless demon, wavered. "What?"

Daren took her wrists and opened the door of her room.

"What are you doing? Dia sleeps next door and..."

Daren ignored Candace’s complaints and pushed her onto the bed, staring at her.

She was breathtaking.

"I don't want," he repeated.

Candace stared at him, impassively.

"What is it that you don't want?" she hissed. Her expression had changed from cruel to cold. For a moment Daren remembered his mother, the way she looked at him and her poison-laced words. He looked away, determined to repress the frantic pounding of his heart.

I must go. I can’t stay here.

Since when had he become so easily impressionable? Since when similar feelings had begun to sprout again in his heart?

This time it was Candace who held him back. She had risen to her feet and was now holding his hand firmly. In the moonlight, her irises glittered like rubies.

"You're the only one I would never hurt." She almost looked angry. "I made a lot of effort not to get in your way, so why... why are you disappointed? Why are you crying?"

Daren's eyes widened and he put a hand just below them, in disbelief.

He was… crying?

And for what reason?

Candace's touch became more delicate, and her hands pulled the emperor close.

Daren felt her comforting warmth, along with a feeling of security he'd never felt before.

He never imagined that hugging a woman felt so good... No, not just any woman. Hugging Candace felt so good.

Candace sat on the bed, keeping him tied to her, and shortly after Daren found himself lying next to her.

"I tried in every way not to involve you."

"I don’t want."

"What?"

"I don’t want to see you disappear. You can’t leave without telling me anything again… "

Daren realized that it was an absurd claim, against all logic. What exactly was he trying to do?

"Okay," Candace murmured. "For now, I can make you this promise."

“For now?”

“For now,” she repeated. “Daren... you shouldn't worry about me. You shouldn't want me next to you. When I told you that I'm a demon, I wasn't kidding. I am a terrible creature, and I’m ready to kill anyone to achieve my goal."

Daren was silent for a while. “But you said that you won’t hurt me.”

Candace reached out a cold hand and touched his face. “That's the truth. You have to believe this and trust me. I told you: I didn't want to involve you. I didn't want to upset you to such an extent.”

"But you did." Daren felt the gravity of those words. "I'm involved with you."

Candace smiled. "Maybe it was inevitable... you and I are destined to connect in some way." A note of melancholy lit up in her gaze.

"What are you talking about?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

Again silence fell, and after a while Daren found the strength to speak words that he never expected to hear come out of his mouth: "You are terrible? You are a demon? So what? You think I’m an innocent and frail man? I'm a terrible person, Candace. I watched my father die without feeling pity, I was happy in seeing him in a pool of blood. And my mother? I isolated her without hesitation. She wanted me on the throne at any cost and severely punished me whenever I didn't meet her expectations. When she died, I felt nothing but relief. Joy was the only emotion that pervaded me when I saw my parents in their grave..."

Candace said nothing, she just looked at him with her intense and sincere eyes.

"My father and mother hated each other, and I hated them. 'If this is love, then I don't want it' I thought at the time. Every woman I met reminded me of my mother, her words, the beatings, the reproaches, and that made me nauseous. I didn't want to be what my father had been to my mother, and I didn't want a woman next to me who treated me the way my mother had treated my father. But nothing like that happened with you."

It was the first time Daren had put his feelings before his pride. The first time he'd felt the need to be honest.

"You'll be my empress and not a shadow behind me. Stand proud by my side and don't leave it. I just want this from you."

Candace seemed a little sad. "I can't be a good wife or a good woman. But I can be a support for you if you want."

"It's fine with me. Be what you want to be. I don't think I’ll be able to love you, but I want you next to me. I wonder if this feeling was born because of your demonic powers too..." Daren feel fatigue pervading him suddenly. It was as if those words had cost him a great effort.

He felt his eyelids getting heavier and the last thing he saw was Candace’s smile grow wider and wider.

"Demons can’t corrupt the purest desires of the heart, my dear Daren."