“Your Majesty, is that you?” he asked.
Keinah chuckled as she leaned over to grab one of his paws. She gently stroked his forehead without speaking. Her eyes were no longer the deepest brown, but now a crisp golden hue.
“Chieftain Breonas, please do not fear. I am your Princess, Keinah, though I am not the same as you once knew me. I have been granted permission from a Heavenly Host to remain by your side,” she said with enthusiastic resolve.
Breonas smiled whole-heartedly with awe and ease. The pair shared a long embrace, as the Celestial soldiers came to see for themselves what was happening. The Lords and Aysha went into the fold of the onlookers to dismantle the commotion. They nearly doubled over when they saw Keinah and Breonas together.
“How can this be?” Aysha asked in an unsteady tone that shocked all the soldiers.
“What is the meaning of this?” Lord Bilal demanded.
“The Emerald Princess is of a sorceress,” Lord Chimique answered in disbelief.
Ignoring the crowd, Keinah continued her dialog with Breonas.
“Where is my husband? Take me to him at once,” she said.
Straightaway, Breonas led her to Vadiim’s chamber as the throng followed in quickstep behind them. There Vadiim laid, resting peacefully. He no longer looked like he was in anguish, though his leg remained with the stone-like infection. Keinah kissed his lips, but he did not stir. She removed her robe to reveal her transformation that took place with the angel Mikleua. Though she stood naked before her audience, it was her enormous flame engulfed crimson wings that spread throughout the room that left them in complete astonishment. Keinah placed her hands on Vadiim’s injured leg and chanted in another one of her unknown tongues. She draped herself over Vadiim and folded her wings around. A blinding light struck the entire chamber as a wave of heat followed.
“General Vadiiamonial of the Emerald Clan Legionnaires, arise,” she commanded.
Vadiim immediately opened his eyes and sat upon his cot. The infection disappeared from his leg.
Breonas was so moved by all that had transpired; he bowed on one knee in reverence of the moment.
“All hail the Emerald Princess Keinah, for she is now our Fiery Priestess,” he proclaimed.
The entire camp followed suit without hesitation, and chanted in excitement, “All hail Princess Keinah! All hail the Fiery Priestess!”
Vadiim made a full recovery from being struck with a crystallization sword, which was unheard of in the Celestial realm. No one could comprehend what they had witnessed, but they were encouraged to win the war against the Sapphire clan, with Keinah as a secret weapon. It was understood that Vadiim did not want to put Keinah on the front line, and would only call upon her if their mission was direly unsuccessful. Within a few days, Vadiim and Aysha began dynamically rehearsing attack strategies to strengthen and reinvigorate the soldiers.
“Are you certain that Princess Keinah should be in attendance at this fiasco? We nearly lost her once. Even though she displays an unexplainable massive amount of power and finesse, how can you be so calm about her heading into this deadly war?” Aysha asked.
“What I want is of little consequence. Keinah is not from this realm. I have no control over her destiny. Who am I to deny her the right to become what she was meant to be?” Vadiim said with resolve.
“Still, this must be hard for you to watch her practically fly out of your reach. I admire your conviction to let things be.” Aysha said, as she dodged the brunt of his sword.Vadiim spun away from Aysha’s counter-attack and said, “What is to be admired is the fact that Keinah has forgone the Heavenly realm once and for all to remain in our domain. Her dedication to our kinsmen is parallel to my own. I could not ask for a greater gift. She is my eternal mate. I am content with that alone.”
The Far Side of Hereafter, Ch. 23
Living Works of D.K. Fair 