The Real Zemyna

Mordecai went to try and calm Zemyna, but before he could open his mouth, she spoke to all of them in a tone they had never heard before.

"Kneel." As soon as the word left Zemyna's mouth, her siblings succumbed to the intense pressure her presence was emitting. They had never felt something like this and stood no chance of resisting it. They knelt on their hands and knees and couldn't even lift their heads to look at her. Mordecai and the others were deeply shocked by this turn of events. Could this really be the same Zemyna who never let their provocation get to her? Is this the Zemyna who had always tried to pull the family together? The difference between the Zemyna they knew and the goddess who was before them now felt like night and day.

Of course, Zemyna did not enjoy this. But her relationship with Elijah being found out presented her with quite the unique opportunity. She had always put her best foot forward in embodying all that it meant to be a goddess of their Archonic family. But now that image of her was being blown away out of the minds of her family and the council members. So, she decided to take control of the situation and shape the new image everyone will have of her from now on with her own hands. "No more holding back." She said to herself.

However Zemyna's real enemy was not her siblings and she knew this. She was only teaching them a lesson they most sorely needed: humility. Her shackles as eldest and heir prevented her from doing so before. But now those chains were broken. Zemyna was determined to use this opportunity to seize true freedom and be her fullest self.

Once Zemyna was convinced her siblings had enough she put her away her sword, calmed herself, and let her siblings rise. After everyone had regained their composure, she did something none of them saw coming. She embraced them.

"Everything will be different after today." Zemyna said this and then let her siblings go.

"Th-that is an understatement." Mordecai had never felt such love from his sister before. And considering the terror and power he felt a moment ago, his heart had suffered emotional whiplash from the quick and drastic changes in atmosphere. All of their hearts did.

"Ahem. Come sisters. Only Mordecai and Zemyna are allowed in the council chamber at this time. We'll have to observe from the outside with our divine tether." Michael saying this helped to further bring everyone back to the matter at hand.

Zara, who was grateful to still have her soul in tact, went to Michael's side immediately. But she felt that she could not leave things like this with Zemyna since none of them could predict what was about to happen to her. So, she mustered enough will to say, "Sorry." Which embarrassingly came out much more sheepishly than Zara intended.

Zemyna smiled in response and said, "I forgave you when you said it." These words made Zara's eyes go wide and her cheeks redden a bit. Which was simply adorable.

"I wasn't aware she could be so cute." Zemyna said to herself and let out a light giggle.

Then Zemyna turned her attention to Lyra and Lilianna. "You will be rid of me soon. But not in the way you think. I will not let our father lose face or appear weak by showing me mercy. But I will not simply accept divine punishment like a good little princess either. Those days are done."

Zemyna's words baffled them and left them speechless.

Zemyna then manifested her ceremonial armor and turned to Mordecai. The fact that she chose to wear armor instead of a gown spoke volumes, but Mordecai chose not to comment on this.

"I am ready, brother."

"Let us go then."

Lyra, Lilianna, Michael, and Zara stayed silent as the two teleported away. The situation felt out of their control. And there was an ominous feeling in the air as if the hand of Fate was moving in their lives in a manner they could not perceive. They had never felt so powerless before. And none of them could predict just how far the ripples that were set in motion by today's events would reach.

An instant after leaving their siblings, Zemyna and Mordecai appeared before the council chamber. Since they were expected, the security features immediately disabled and Hermes did not bother to come to them. As the doors opened, Hermes simply made another announcement. "Princess Zemyna. First-born of his reverence Chief Archon Zariah and her eminence Head Priestess Meera, heir to the Sun-Throne, has arrived in accordance to the royal summons." Mordecai couldn't help but notice the disparity between how Hermes announced his sister as opposed to himself, but of course he said nothing and went to find himself a place to stand out of the way while Zemyna took the floor.

Zemyna's presence filled the hearts of everyone there with awe and they had almost forgotten why she was there in the first place. Her countenance was just too enchanting. But the council members could also sense an indomitable will coming from Zemyna that caused them to revere her just as much as they did the Chief Archon and Head Priestess.

Feeling how everyone was waiting for her to speak with baited breath, Zemyna relaxed the atmosphere in the room a bit by elegantly bowing and addressing all of those present. "Chief Archon and Head Priestess, your eldest daughter greets you in this sacred chamber with sound mind and body. I am honored to be among you. And I stand ready to answer for my actions which have disturbed you and the esteemed Council of Nine."

Zemyna's parents did not miss the subtle admission of wrong doing in their daughter's words. They looked at each other and communicated something hidden from the others before continuing.

Head Priestess Meera could feel that her husband hated every millisecond of this. He was about to be forced to deal with Zemyna as if she were a criminal when all he wanted to do was take her into his arms and have a proper discussion about this. But Mordecai's actions had made that impossible. Yet she saw that he did not succumb to his anger, because he knew why his son had done this. If anyone else had learned about Zemyna's relationship with the mortal, it could have potentially spelled disaster for the whole royal family. So they had to seize this chance to control the narrative, identify any would-be enemies before they could become a threat, and put an end to the potential rebellion before it started. There hadn't been a rebellion in heaven since the fall of Azazel many eons ago. And the Chief Archon certainly wasn't about to let another one occur on his watch.

Who knew love would have them playing such a dangerous game?