CHAPTER 11: MADELAINE ANN RUBINFORTH'S RESOLUTION

**Madelaine**

It was said that the gates of heaven were of pearly-white, and its streets were made of gold…

“…”

However, I could only give a glance at those supposedly ‘precious’ things. I didn’t even care about those.

“…”

Because, in all honesty, I never needed them. A rich and powerful husband? A big, opulent house in the country? Maids and guards that attend to my needs and safety? Those are trivial things compared to what I’ve found…

I’ve got someone who understands and stands up for me. Even though he could be pretty detached, or his head was full of weird ideas, he only desired the things that would make me genuinely happy…

“Kuro…”,

And what did I do to repay him? I only got him trapped in this world that wasn’t his own. I got him involved in my stupid whims and tantrums. And in the end, he had to be killed…all because he wanted to help me…

“…”

I think now is my time to give back all that I can to this man who always stood by my side.

“!!!”

“Ah! You’re that saint named Maddie, right? If I remember, you’re the…”

“The Human Saint.”

“Ah yes! The Great Saint of Chersea!”

“I’m indeed the saint, but I’m not great, Mister Peter,” I replied to the doorkeeper, “And I come here to plead to the gods.”

“Oh, right! Right!” the old man with a rooster on his arm then took out a golden key and unlocked the big pearly-white gates of heaven, “Don’t worry, Maddie. I’m sure the gods would like to hear your petition.”

“Thank you for your help, old man.”

“Yes, my pleasure, dearie!” the old doorkeeper smiled gently, “Go on now, my child. They’re waiting…”

With the pearly gates open, I took my steps inside into the majestic palace made of gold. If I remember correctly, this was one of the splendid palaces of the gods. If I made it past those golden pillars, I was sure I’d be in the holy presence of the High King of the gods, the great Creator…

“…”

“Oh! Welcome my child! What brings you here?”

“!!!”

I saw another old man with a gentle yet dignified look on his face, sitting on a gold and ivory throne set upon a pedestal. He was looking outside as if he’s in deep reflection. I knew him though, for, in contrast to the majesty of this place, his simplicity always stood out.

“Thank You for allowing me into Your audience, oh Great Creator, the High King of the Gods of All Realms.”

“I won’t turn my back on a beautiful soul that cries out to me for help,” he replied, “So, what is it you want?”

“Your Majesty…if I may be selfish for a bit, there’s a person I’d like You to help…”

“Yes, that boy named Kuro. It’s a pity that he had to die like that…”

“Lord, why did that happen?” I could hear my voice quiver as I looked into my hands. My vision was muddled; I was about to cry, “I tried to heal him, but my powers would not work! Where did I go wrong?”

The High King could only stare at me with sadness on His face. He then stood and reached for me as tears flowed from my eyes, “My child, you must remember that he was someone from a world under another deity. Have you forgotten the agreement of the gods about this?”

“But Your Majesty, that person…”

“Yes, I know. However, to do that, I’ll have to break the oath I swore to uphold,” he gently explained to me, “Do you want Me to do that?”

I could not answer that question of His. Truth be told, my heart desired to see Kuro once again. However, for that to happen, the High King of the heavens would have to go against His nature just to accommodate me.

“…”

“What is your answer, my child?”

“I…” I took a deep breath and continued, “My Lord, You know of my heart’s desire; I want to be with Kuro if I have to move the heavens for that to happen. That’s why I appear before you pleading…”

Now it’s the High King’s turn to be silent as He listened to my selfish request.

However, I couldn’t help but continue pleading and eventually knelt before the High King, “Lord, won’t You help him? He died because of my selfishness—and I know I’m still being selfish here—however, I just couldn’t bear to live with that thought in my heart. I’m ready to carry any responsibility You’ll put on my shoulders once You break Your oath with the rest of the gods…”

Another round of silence followed. I never tried to stand up, though my knees hurt from the prolonged kneeling I was doing before the High King.

If I have to do this for an eternity, I will.

And then I heard the High King sigh. I felt His hand on my head, patting like Kuro did whenever I needed comfort…

“Of course, you don’t have to do that, my child. I won’t ask you to remain here for an eternity, so please stand.”

With some difficulty, and with the High King’s help—my legs just ‘died’—I stood up before Him.

“You’re a pure soul, that’s why the power of the gods was given upon you,” the High King then asked me, “But, are you sure you’ll want him to live at this certain point in time you mentioned? Don’t you want him to live right at the moment he died?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“You’ll end up with that Imperial Prince in marriage, you know.”

“If it is Your will, my Lord, then I’ll accept any punishment for my sins. I just don’t want him to suffer any more for me…”

“Hmm…you don’t want him to suffer, and yet, you’re missing something important about him…”

I could only feel the beat of my heart stop. I know what He means by that…after all, Kuro did all that he had done so far just to help me.

“I could return Kuro to his world if you say so,” the High King offered.

“That’s…”

“What’s your decision, my daughter?”

“…”

Honestly, with what happened to Kuro, I just wanted him to be safe. I don’t wish to see him all bloodied again, like what I saw before. His lonely, lifeless eyes that stared into the sky when his spirit departed…I don’t want to experience it again!

“…”

But I still wanted him to be with me! I wanted to talk to him more; I wanted to get to know him more! He’s something I never want to lose…

“I…Your Majesty, please…I want him with me.”

The High King was silent. Seeing that I already had a decision in mind, he continued, “Alright then, please speak no more. I understand your position. However, please note this; if you don’t change your heart soon, you’ll only cause suffering for the ones who love you.”

“Yes, my Lord. I know of my mistakes, and I’ll strive to correct them for as long as I live.”

“Ah, it’s good that you have learned from your mistakes,” the venerable old God patted my head, “I forgive you, my child. Now be at peace…”

A warm, peaceful feeling then entered my heart, and it felt nice. A few moments later, I saw myself back in my private study at my father’s place here in Chersea…

----------

***Well, Kuro did all that he could. ***

“…”

After waking up in the infirmary after he supposedly ‘died’, Kuro was told that the Tri-Skill Tourney had already ended, and the Imperial Prince was declared the winner by default.

“…”

Yes, the technicality of what happened to him was out of the question. Well, maybe because Kuro’s a commoner, and they will never consider a commoner to be a winner in tournaments…

“Mister Kuro?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you for everything you’ve done, Mister Kuro. And I’m sorry that it happened to you…” It was the younger Rubinforth daughter, Sophia. She had downtrodden eyes; a clear sign that she’s sad about the turn of events. Of course, it’s pretty normal, since she and her brother tried their best to protect their big sister; but in the end, they all failed.

“Don’t worry about me, Your Excellency…” Kuro could only give Sophia a head pat to comfort her.

----------

In contrast, the entire Rubinforth household was busy with the preparations for the engagement of Her Holiness and the Imperial Prince. Invitations had been sent around for all the nobles who could join in the festivities, and several aristocrats had expressed their desire to come.

“Ah, I never thought that this day would come, Maddie!” the Duke of Rubinforth said while he fixed his bowtie in front of a mirror, “Don’t worry, the Imperial Prince, Jean Anton V is a man of character. It’s not a surprise that many ladies dream of him as their husband.”

“…” The Saint kept her silence all the while her trusted maid, Lilyhaven, fixed her royal dress.

“Hm…don’t be sad, my daughter. This is your big day, and the last thing that I’d want to see is my precious child to be crying out of sadness.”

“I’m sorry, Papa…” Her Holiness bowed in gratitude before her father, “And I’d like to thank you for worrying about me ever since I was young…”

“Nah…don’t mention it. And you know, I’d also tried to look into that assassin that was sent after Mister Kuro, and so far, no progress had been made.”

“I see…”,

“Don’t worry, Maddie, I’ll make sure that the great commoner would be protected and could live his life in relative peace,” the Duke had a sad expression, “It’s a pity that he had to go like that; I honestly rooted for him in that second round, though…”

The Saint knew her father was telling the truth since she could see through the hearts of anyone. He had a rude awakening after Kuro rebuked him for his ways towards his daughter.

“…”

However, as much as the Duke had wanted to reverse his ways, the wheels of fate had turned uncontrollably. The Tri-Skill tournament happened and ended unexpectedly, and the Imperial Prince would get the hand of his beloved daughter, Maddie.

“Maddie…”

“Yes, Papa?”

“I’m sorry for everything. I didn’t know I was making you suffer. I only wanted the best for you, you know…”

Her Holiness was visibly moved by her father apologizing. Sure enough, he may have made serious mistakes in the past; but in the end, he’s still a loving father to her and her siblings. And no one could deny that…

“Papa…” the Saint drew closer to him.

And the Duke opened his arms wide enough to accept her.

“Won’t your allergy act up once again?”

“I’ll be fine as always…”

“Alright…”

Then they held each other tight. Tears were falling from everyone present in that room. At last, the child and her father had reunited once again…

----------

“Before everything else, I just want to thank everyone who came here for our engagement party!” the Imperial Prince raised his glass of wine to all esteemed guests present in the grand hallway of the Rubinforth manor.

Of course, everyone followed suit. The emperor, kings, queens, princes, princesses, dukes, and several other nobles joined in on the festivities at this glorious time in Chersea’s history.

The Saint, as Madelaine Ann Rubinforth, seated beside the Imperial Prince. And both of the couple’s fathers flanked them on each side. The Imperial couple looked like a match made in heaven, and many young noble girls stared in envy while the boys felt sorry for themselves.

As for Kuro, he knew he had no more part in this farce. So earlier on, he went to pack his clothes and had asked Lily for help in fetching a ride for him to somewhere.

After all, it’s painful to see that all his efforts went for naught.

“Hey, Master, are you sure you’re fine with what’s happening?” It was the Beastman Saint, Ruro of the Wolf, “I thought you’ll be fighting for Maddie? Why are you going away now?”

“Well, I thought so too, Your Fluffy Holiness. But she has decided, and I respect her for that.”

“Hmm…really, huh?” Her Fluffy Holiness continued, “Still, I’m puzzled by her. You know, she went to the realm of the gods to ask personally for help in resurrecting you. But she made it so that you’d revive when it was too late for you to intervene for her. I mean, what’s her deal?”

“Her Holiness felt guilty about what happened to me, as simple as that,” Kuro replied, “She wanted to carry her mistakes by herself, and deemed that I have no part in her suffering.”

“Wow…you understand her.”

“Of course, I’m her friend.”

“…”

“I’m her fucking friend, you know,” Kuro’s fists tightened; his heart was burning with anger, “That fat idiot; she couldn’t even make herself get up and exercise without my help. And she has the guts to keep me out of her life suddenly! What an ingrate, selfish, ignoble holy saint!”

“Want me to exact revenge, Master?”

“No. That won’t be necessary!” Kuro smiled mischievously, “Even if this is the last time, I’ll make sure I’ll pound some common sense in that head of hers! I’m a teacher, after all.”

----------

The engagement ceremony in Chersea was a solemn one, almost like a marriage in its seriousness and custom. Many elaborate rituals were being performed before they get into the actual engagement event. Because it was the Saint herself who was involved, the Grand Mother Templar Superior of the Holy Palatial Gardens was the one in charge of the celebration.

“And now, as a proof of your promise to wed one another, here are the rings of our Lord, Gaius, and his consort, Arame. Both of you are their heirs, and so it shall be, from this moment forward…” the Grand Mother Templar Superior began blessing the rings before handing it down on the Imperial Prince and the Human Saint.

The Imperial Prince made his oath, “I, Jean Anton V of the Empire of Chersea, swear by the name of our holy father Gaius, and his holy wife, Arame, that I will take this woman Madelaine Ann, as my only consort ’till the day I breathe my last.”

The entire hall erupted in cheers and claps. Even the Grand Mother Templar Superior had joined in the festive crowd.

And now, it’s Madelaine’s turn to declare her oath…

“…”

There was an intense round of silence as everyone settled down with their noise to hear what the esteemed holy woman would say.

“Uhm…I’m sorry, I’m nervous right now,” Madelaine admitted to the crowd, “I mean, it’s my big moment, and it’s all so sudden…”

A chorus of laughter erupted from the crowd as a response to her confession. However, they soon realized that their Saint was serious, for she neither laughed nor smiled.

“You see, well…before we…uh…proceed…” Madelaine could feel her heartbeat wildly, “Uhm…there’s something I’d l-like to s-show you, everyone…”

The esteemed dignitaries never made a sound. It’s as if the hall froze in time. Seeing that she got their attention focused on her, Maddie slowly chanted a spell…

“!!!” Lily, who was there in her royal clothes, quickly recognized that chanting was for dispelling the disguise of her friend. She tried to stop Madelaine, only to be prevented by the crowd who stood in her way.

“You see, everyone…I’m just a human, even though I have the power of the gods…” a bright light shone around Madelaine that temporarily blinded the people in that main hall. And then the next moment later, everyone was dumbfounded on what they were seeing—their Saint had become fat and ‘ugly’.

“!!!” All who were present held the breaths.

“Who are you?” The Imperial Prince cried out in horror as he realized that the ‘ugly’, fat girl beside him was the Saint that was about to be engaged to him.

“I’m sorry for tricking you, everyone,” Madelaine bowed, “Just a season ago, I did a big mistake that led into this. I tried my best to get back to my old, beautiful appearance. But not only was I unable to do it; I also caused someone close to me to suffer even though he’s supposedly an outsider.”

“No…N-No way!” The Imperial Prince laughed mockingly at her at this sudden turn of events.

“Your Imperial Majesty…” Madelaine turned to the shocked prince, “Will you accept me as I am?”

“What are you talking about, drivel?” he shouted at the top of his lungs, “You tried to trick us with your magic—appearing to be beautiful and yet you’re uglier than a well-used prostitute’s arse!”

Madelaine kept her mouth shut. But one could tell that she’s about to cry from the expletives being hurled at her by the Imperial Prince.

“Hey!”

“!!!”

Everyone’s eyes fell on the old, bald man on the other side of the table: the Duke of Rubinforth. His face was red, and anyone could tell that he’s seething in anger. His daughter, Sophia, was trying her best to hold on to his arm, as she vainly attempted to calm him down.

“Don’t you ever call my daughter like that, you mongrel!” he countered, “One more word, and I couldn’t promise that my sword would stay in its scabbard!”

The Imperial delegation then rose from their seats, with their hands grabbing the hilts of their swords. The Duke’s guards, upon seeing the threat posed by the guests, also reached for their weapons. The others were frozen in their seats or let themselves out quietly.

“This is why I hate the northern barbarian kingdoms!” the Imperial Prince said in spite, “Come and try me, Duke! Let’s see if you can take the might of the entire empire, head on!”

No one dared to move for a few moments.

“See? You’re all cowards! All that you can do is to rely on an ugly ‘Saint’ for protection! You couldn’t even lift a finger against me!”

Madelaine tried in vain to diffuse the tension, “Please, Your Imperial Highness. I wouldn’t take offense with your words, but please, stay your hand.”

“Stop with this farce! You’re not the Saint! She’s beautiful as a goddess; you’re just a shit—bueeh!!!”

“!!!” Everyone was stunned when they saw the Imperial Prince flew down the ornate table that was set up for the engagement party. He crashed like paper, much to the horror of his father, the Emperor.

“For fuck’s sake, I intend to hit Her Holiness’ head to instill some common sense into her, but I found my fist flying towards this fucker’s face,” it was Kuro, shaking the arm he used to punch the prince, “Who’s this disrespectful fellow, anyway?”

“K-Kuro?” Madelaine’s eyes were round in utter surprise, “That’s…the Imperial Prince.”

“He is?” Kuro then realized the mistake that he had done, “Oh shit…”

“You!” the Imperial Prince was helped by his father, “You’re that commoner who won the tourney on the first and second rounds! I thought you’re dead?”

“Well, I’m still alive…thanks to the fat Saint over there,” Kuro reached out with his hand to him, “I’m sorry buddy, but I didn’t intend to hit you. I just went ballistic when you kept on throwing ugly words on my friend; get what I mean?”

The Imperial Prince slapped his hand away, “Don’t touch me, you filth!”

“Alright, alright…My apologies for causing that beautiful blue and violet bruise though…”

“!!!” The Imperial Prince quickly asked for a mirror which was given to him. Much to his shock, there was indeed a prominent bruise on his cheek, caused by Kuro’s fist, “You insolent peasant! Look at what you’ve done to my beautiful face! Do you know who I am? I’m the Imperial Prince of the Empire of Cher—”

“Yes, we know who you are, Your Imperial Highness,” this time, it was Lily’s turn to intervene. On her hand was a big battle-ax, and though smiling, she was shrouded in an intimidating aura. Soon, the other guests rallied behind the Nerfes princess and had their swords drawn out as well. Lily continued, “However, we can’t allow you Imperials to hurl insults at our Saint anymore. Now, if you please excuse yourselves, the exit route is over there.”

“…”

With no other choice than to retreat, the Imperial Prince, as well as his father, excused themselves— followed by their retinue, and hurried to the exit.

“…”

No one could move for a few moments, but one could tell that the general atmosphere turned from one that reeked of tension into a relaxed and relieving ambiance. And with that, the Human Saint’s engagement was called off, and for the first time in the history of the Tri-Skill Tournament in Chersea, no one was declared the winner…

Oh, and Kuro’s infamy increased even more. He’s now known as the ‘Fist of the North Lands’. Probably he’ll get disgusted once he learned he became a cheap rip-off of a famous muscle anime…

----------

**Kuro**

The commotion finally died down. The invited members of the nobility were ushered in one corner by the servants of Her Holiness—led by Lily, and the maids from the Rubinforth house. I guess they’d be entertained later; but first things first, it’s the Saint who gets the priority among everyone present.

After all, upon witnessing such an episode, all wanted to offer their sympathies and support for their demi-goddess.

Her father, the Duke of Rubinforth, was consoling his daughter. His face had a grim expression, and he never put his sword back in its sheath. Her siblings were also there to stand with her, and they too—particularly Sophia, were visibly mad. Well, I think it’s pretty much understandable.

But what I was concerned about was Her Holiness; she’s kind of conscious about her figure, after all, “So, you finally got the courage to reveal your real image, Your Holiness?”

“Ah, yes…well, it’s kind of unpleasant at first, but I guess it’s fine with how it played out in the end.”

“Don’t you think our efforts to hide it were in vain?”

“It’s okay. I finally realized, I wanted to be myself, and so I resolved to do it and reverse the mistakes I did in the past,” she explained.

“Why are you so adamant about your image, anyway?” I put up that question on her, “It’s not like you’ll die from being seen like that!”

“Hmm…you know, I wanted to always appear beautiful as any young girl would like. And also, dealing with humans? They always require a great deal of image projection to have them respect you.”

Well, she had a point. Humans always judge others based on that famous ‘first impression’ principle. It’s annoying, but probably it’s our nature…

“As I’ve said before, I’m still human, even though I’ve got godly powers. I desire things any normal human would.”

“True enough. But man, you’d spare us a lot of trouble if you just decided to reveal yourself early on.”

“I’m sorry,” Her Holiness sheepishly asked for my forgiveness.

“Nah, it’s fine, you know. You’re still a girl, no matter how holy of a Saint you are. Just be yourself; laugh, cry, throw tantrums from time to time…And I’ll always be a friend to you, just like how Lily treats you.”

“Of course. You’re the only one who understands me, aside from Lily,” she winked at me.

Then, the Saint turned to her guests, who were still in shock at what happened, “To everyone here present, thank you for supporting me, even though I have my flaws! Thank you for defending my honor!”

The other nobles and esteemed commoners knelt in reverence to Her Holiness. Perhaps she didn’t need to hide her imperfections in the first place; I think that’s what makes her human, and it’s what connects her to these people…

I saw the Saint flashed me a sweet smile, “Thank you, Kuro.”

“Yeah, as always Your Holiness,” I also bowed in reverence to her as well. I guess I already did my part; she’s fine, and she may now determine her life’s direction from this moment forward. Ah, just like the good old times back in school, Kuro! She reminds me of my students…

However, the Human Saint stayed around me for a few minutes longer.

“Hm? Why are you still here?”

“Uhm…Kuro, I’d like to show you something…”

“What is it?”

Her Holiness then uttered a few words for a spell, and then her fat figure dissipated.

“Err…you brought back your disguise?”

“No, silly!” she laughed softly, “I put on that ‘fat’ disguise to know the true nature of the Imperial Prince.”

“Oh…” I couldn’t help but be impressed, “That’s a nice strategy of knowing your potential partner’s character before you swear to forever!”

“Yep, it is!” the Saint grinned, “I already trimmed down my figure, thanks to your ‘work-out’, Mister Kuro!”

“Well, look at that!” I couldn’t keep myself from patting her head, “You did great this time, Your Holiness! Congratulations!”

The Saint was ecstatic and all smiles. But then…

“!!!”

She gently took my hand and held it tight close to her heart. I was so surprised by the gesture that I could not speak for a moment. Heck, I think any guy wouldn’t; her chest was so soft and warm, I found it difficult to keep my eyes off from it.

I inadvertently glanced at her father, who was just sitting near us.

“I’ll allow it for now,” he was turning a blind eye to what’s happening.

“Papa…please don’t spoil my moment,” the Saint protested.

“Sophia, William! Let’s get some food, I’m hungry!” Mister Rubinforth stood, sheathed his sword, and made his way to the dining table.

“Yes, Papa! Coming!” The Rubinforth brats also went after him; but not before Sophia giving me a silent but stern warning.

Yes, I know. I’m a gentleman pervert, kid. I keep my desires in their proper places.

With her family out of the way, Her Holiness spoke, her dreamy eyes looked tenderly at me. She never let go of my hand… “Kuro…I know it’s quite bold of me to ask, but, if possible, can I…”

“Yes…?”

“Can I be…your student?”

“What?”

Author's Note:  (1) Saint Peter (yes, the disciple guy), is popularly depicted in Filipino Culture as some old man with a rooster on his arms. It became associated with him because in the bible, he famously denied knowing the Christ three times, and then the rooster crowed after doing that.