1 The Fate and Faith

Walking along the dark corridors with a torch in hand, a woman with scarlet hair silently uttered a curse on how big this palace is. Even though she was already used to it as she had been living here for years already, she would be reminded of this palace's size occasionally at random times like it did right now.

Almost reaching her intended destination, she slowed down her steps and walked in silence. Her footsteps were light, not revealing the slightest of sounds. She acted as though she was a thief in other people's house, when in fact this was her own house!

Standing in front of a double door, she slightly pushed it open and peeked inside. There she saw a short girl with the same hair color as hers, looking at the age of nine, and sitting on a chair near the open windows as she looked at the night sky up high. In this dimly lit room, the only source of light was the moon and the stars outside.

"Mother?" the girl turned her gaze to the door and cocked her head adorably.

The woman's head dropped down in depression as she was still found out after all the stealthy actions she had done. Sighing, she pushed open the doors and closed it right after she went inside.

"Honey, why are you still awake? What are you looking at?" the woman asked with tender affection in her eyes as she approached the girl. This is her daughter, her most precious treasure. Her daughter that is more important to her then her own life.

"The stars… they are really pretty."

"Hehe, just as pretty as my daughter." she ruffled the girl's hair making her pout at her mother.

"Stop it, mother!" the girl angrily said, finally making the woman stop from ruining her hair.

"Hehehehe, sorry about that. My daughter is just sooo very pretty that I can't help but do it. Do forgive mother, in exchange, mother will tell you a story, okay? "The moment the girl heard the word 'story' she brightened up and immediately nodded her head.

"Tell me a story about the stars!"

The woman pouted, "Mother doesn't know any stories about the stars. Mother will have to think of one yet."

The mood of the little girl dropped down. Seeing this, the woman smiled and kissed her forehead, "But mother knows a poem about stars. Would you like to hear it?"

"Okay…"

The woman picked up the girl from her seat and sat on the chair, she then made her sit comfortably on her lap. Gently stroking the girl's hair, she started…

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,

When he nothing shines upon,

Then you show your little light,

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveler in the dark

Thanks you for your tiny spark,

How could he see where to go?

If you did not twinkle so?

In the dark blue sky you keep,

Often through my curtains peep

For you never shut your eye,

Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark

Lights the traveler in the dark,

Though I know not what you are,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

"Good night, Feya."

"Good night, Mother..."

•"☆"•

Silence

The current state of the throne hall can be explained with this word alone. There are close to one hundred people in the hall, the entirety of the royal court that stood among the top of all people in the kingdom. They are the nobilities among the nobilities. A single word from any of them can cause a commotion among the kingdom yet all of them have kept their mouth shut. No one dared to utter a word as their ashen faces looked at the person standing below the throne.

It was an old woman with a face so hideous it looked as though it was the rotten face of a corpse with maggots devouring her flesh as they crawled throughout her body. If they didn't see her walking and standing before them, they would have already thought she was a corpse starting to decompose. The sight sent shivers down everyone's spine.

Sitting on a golden throne on the other hand is a handsome middle-aged man with regal aura around him as opposed to the aura of death clinging on the old woman's. The yellow rays of light passing through the glass windows shone upon his throne, further enhancing the air of nobility in him. He was like a god who had descended upon the mortal world to rule over the people.

The old woman looked at the king sinisterly and started, "The age of the golden people have long since passed. When the last of the gold leave its territory, the kingdom will be razed into ashes and Hades will feast on their souls!"

The king lightly smiled, "You are saying my kingdom will fall?"

"The fates have deemed it so."

"Fates!"

Nearly all the people in the hall fell into commotion when they heard the word fate. For them, this was no different from receiving a death sentence! They knew that the fates' words are the greatest and not even the ruler of the gods can undermine their decisions! If they said that person will die tonight, then they would die that night. Not earlier and not any later. Such was the power of the fates that gods feared them for what they are capable of. It is of no wonder that these people are agitated and terrified. They are dealing with creatures far beyond their comprehension and power.

The king raised his hand making the people slowly quiet down. He gazed intently into the old woman's dark hollow eyes as his smile grew even more. "Thousands of years ago, the greatest oracle in the time had predicted that the kingdom will fall during the war between the Titans and the Olympians. The war was devastating and the world fell into chaos and yet… we survived." He then looked at the people from beneath his throne, "Thousands of years after that, another great oracle had predicted the destruction of the kingdom in the hands of the Giants… we survived."

"The age of silver came and met its end. The age of bronze also fell into the same fate. However, we survived!"

"Throughout the ages, countless kingdoms have risen and just as many kingdoms have fallen. Innumerable wars; uncountable lives were taken! Many gods and goddesses and even titans have predicted our end yet here we are! We survived, continuing to thrive!"

The people's hearts palpated wildly inside their chest. Their backs straightened out as the worries in them slowly faded away, replaced by the pride they felt for their own kingdom. Their kingdom which had existed for thousands of years, surviving many different ordeals over the ages. They are burning with passion and wanted to do something for their own motherland. Their morale was steadily rising up.

The king stood up and stomped his foot, sending tremors throughout the hall. "The fates have deemed our destruction! However, we Gaeans will yet again, continue to survive!"

"We will survive. I have deemed it so!"

Cheers resounded throughout the hall as the people all raised their right hand and chanted, "GAEA! GAEA! GAEA!"

The king stepped down the stairs, leading to his throne as he walked in front of the old woman. "We, Gaeans, will live another day."

"Where did you get that confidence of yours?"

"I have faith."

"Faith… hihihihi how funny. Faith, hi... hihihihi." the old woman's should trembled and started cackling creepily. "Faith… ohh faith, hihihi what a huge joke!"

The king was unperturbed by her and said, "My faith or you fates. Let us see to it who shall prevail, Atropos."

"You knew fully well who am I from the start yet still said such things. I have truly underestimated your boldness, your courage, your… idiocy, Metheus."

"Humph. Many times have I defied fate. Many times have we eluded death. This time will not be any different." the king, now identified as Metheus turned around and started walking back towards his throne. His invincible figure and his fearless attitude gave courage to his people. This man was their king! Their god in their eyes!

"I will keep those words in mind, Metheus. Tartarus has a special place for you."

King Metheus sat on his throne and replied. "I control my fate. That is my faith."

"Then we shall see how far your faith will take you, King of Gaea." Atropos turned into shadow and disappeared into the ground. No traces of her ever being there remained aside from the memories of the earlier happenings fresh in their mind.

•"☆"•

The palace's garden of Gaea was a place of aesthetic value filled with the most beautiful of plants, sacred trees, spirits and adorable creatures that the queen had collected from her travels in the past. It was a place exclusive only for the King, Queen, and the Royal Princess of Gaea. This was their own haven; a heaven on earth. Their place of relaxation and the place where they spent most of their free time with as they marvel the beauty of nature in this tiny little paradise.

"Be careful when you're playing, Honey!" the scarlet haired woman yelled when she saw her daughter, Feya almost falling on her knees whilst chasing a butterfly. Thankfully, the vines on the nearby tree had moved and caught her right before she hurt herself.

"Yes, Mother!" Feya replied as she went back to chase the butterfly in a way that is not careful at all.

The woman can only shake her head at this and sighed. Feya had always been a hyperactive child. She would always be worried for her well-being when the girl went out to play, fearing that she may hurt herself accidentally. The only place where she can let go of these worries is when they are in the garden where the plants can help her assist and watch over Feya when playing since most of the plants had their own spirits and can move on their own.

Minutes later, the woman felt a presence coming towards them in a slow and steady pace. It was the presence of a very powerful mortal whom she is well familiar with. Very familiar in fact. When that presence had reached their destination, she looked behind and saw the weary smile on her husband's face. The face of the king of the Gaea and the ruler of Gaeans, Metheus.

"Dear… is there a problem?" She asked in concern as she came to his side.

"Calista…"

The woman, now identified as Calista, knitted her brows, "What's wrong?"

"She had come."

"Who?"

"One of the three sisters of fate. Atropos." Metheus said with a heavy tone.

"The Moirai did?"

Moirai (Moirae), also known as the Fates are composed of three goddesses of fate who are the personification of the destiny and are responsible for the fates of all creatures on earth and heavens. The three fates are known as; Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Clotho weaves the threads of life, beginning all life; Lachesis is responsible for deciding how much life every living being has. She measures the thread, determining the lifespan of an individual; lastly is Atropos, the eldest of the three. She is the one who decides how each creature would die, and wields a shear in her hand the only thing which could cut the threads of life, thus, ending the life.

The Fates also decides the person's destiny. They would decide how a person would live their life, their achievements, everything. Everything is under their control and every human only have a fair share of freedom in their whole life.

"What did she come here for?" Calista frowned and asked her husband.

Metheus sighed, "She came and told us a prophecy... no, our fate."

The age of the golden people have long since passed. When the last of the gold leave its territory, the kingdom will be razed into ashes and Hades will feast on their souls

"Golden people… the last of the gold. This concerns about…"

"Yes, it is referring to me."

"If you leave the kingdom… it will be destroyed…"

The Fates are the goddesses of Life. For they give life and determine the lifespan of an individual. Once an individual have reached the end of their lifespan, they then become the Goddesses of Death. This time, one of the three sisters of Fate had come as a Goddess of Death.

"That is the fate that the Fates had given me." Metheus clenched his fist and then let out a genuine smile. "One that I intend on changing."

His genuine smile was so contagious it actually made Calista make the same smile despite the worries she have in her heart. "We have already beaten fate before."

"And we will do so again. For the Gaeans, for us and for our daughter."

"What did you mean by beating the Fates?" little Feya suddenly popped out from behind her mother and asked.

"It's nothing, Feya. A story for another time." Metheus replied to which Feya pouted. He laughed and messed her hair. "My little girl is as adorable as always."

Feya smiled from the compliment but because of her curious nature which was natural from a child, she continued, "Mother told me stories about the gods and goddesses and even the Fates. I heard they are super strong. How did you two beat the fates, father?"

"With faith. Feya.'"

"Faith?"

"That's right. With a strong enough faith, one can surpass even gods!"

Feya has her mouth agape and her eyes wide open as she stared at her father in amazement. "Are you the only one who has faith, father?"

"No. Everyone has faith but faith depends solely on an individual. Some have very little faith and there are some who have an unbelievably high faith they are never discouraged by others."

"Can I have faith too?"

"Everyone is capable of having faith so of course you can, honey." Calista replied in her husband's place.

"How do I have faith?"

"To have faith, one must have strong or absolute belief over something. A belief that what you believed for is going to happen… uhh, is that right?" Metheus scratched his head embarrassingly.

Seeing her husband in a bind, Calista took over. "To have faith is to have a strong and undying belief. A belief that will never be deterred by anyone. Faith is a powerful thing honey. You can do anything as long as you have enough fate."

"If I have faith that I'll have friends, then will I have friends?"

"Anything is possible with faith honey."

"Hehe, then I'll have faith. I will have a friend who will play with me always whenever I want! A strong person who will protect mother, father and I from bad people! Moreover, we must be of same age. I want to play with a kid like me!" Feya said saying the inner wishes of her heart.

Metheus and Calista were both saddened by their daughter's wish. Had they been normal people and not of royalty, they would have had no problems letting Feya play with other child. Too bad they were royalties. They were always targeted by people who are after the throne and there's no knowing if these people have morals and will never target Feya. The only playmates their daughter has are the sentient beings in this garden and the few most trustworthy palace maids they have.

"There's no person like that, though." Metheus was feeling sorry for his daughter so he decided to tease Feya to lighten the mood.

Only for it to backfire...

"B-But you said… anything is possible with faith." tears started to well up in her as she looked at her father, hurt.

"S-stop crying. Father was just joking. There certainly is a person like that. Father had made a mistake." Metheus stuttered and looked at his wife for help who sighed at her husband.

"Don't listen to your father. Everything is possible. Just have faith, honey."

Though there were tears in her eyes, it was one with full of determination. "I'll certainly have a friend. A friendly, gentle and bright friend. Just like the stars!"

"You really do love the stars don't you?"

Feya can only sheepishly rub her head at that. "They are just so beautiful and bright but not too bright like the sun."

"The sun is also a star, Feya."

"I know that. I hate you father."

"Wha?!"

"Hehehehe,"

Metheus was nearly heartbroken but sighed in relief when Feya started laughing. Soon after, he joined his daughter in her laughter and also dragged his wife, Calista and tickled the hell out of her. At this moment, this family of three is having the fun of their life. In this garden of theirs, there are no responsibilities, no problems and there are no fates. Only love and happiness.

•"☆"•

It had already been a month since the arrival of Atropos in the kingdom and it had gained quite a commotion among the populace for a bit but thanks to Metheus' quick-wittedness, he managed to calm their worries within a few days. He had then proceeded to upgrade his military might right after and trained his people to be able to act efficiently in case of emergencies. Other than that issue, the month had passed somewhat peacefully.

However the queen of Gaea, Calista was anxious. Not for the well-being of the kingdom but for her daughter, Feya.

A few weeks ago, a week after one of the three fates came, Feya asked her to buy more toys for her. When she asked why, her daughter simply replied, "It's for my friend!"

"Friend?"

"Yes! I have faith that a friend will come and play with me!" Calista smiled at that. It would seem that Feya was serious about her faith of having a friend. She had thought the girl would completely forget about it the next day or so however it would seem like she had made a mistake in her judgment. Feya's faith had only risen more as time passes and she gets excited everyday as she awaits for her 'friend'...

Without further ado, Calista had bought what her daughter asked of her and even bought more than what was required of her, making the girl ecstatic much to her delight.

A few days after that, Feya approached her and asked to get the plants, trees and the spirits in the garden to go to sleep when she goes out there to play with her 'friend'. Her reason? "I don't want others to disturb us when we're playing."

Calista had intended to refuse but after seeing the pitiful pleading face of her daughter and her round puppy eyes, she had obliged reluctantly. It was fine, it was something she can compromise with. It's not like Feya is going to leave the safety of the palace and the spirits, plants and trees are still there, just sleeping. If something were to go wrong, they can easily wake up and protect her from harm. Moreover, a friend, coming to meet Feya and play with her in the garden is near impossible, if not, impossible. The palace is heavily guarded by the royal guards trained by Metheus himself and anyone can never enter the palace without the permission of the king excluding the throne hall because it is where he grants audience to his subjects.

Another few days had passed after that, her most beloved daughter had come to her once again, "Mother, I want to learn cooking!"

Smiling wryly, Calista asked, "Is this related to your friend again?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"Mother's dishes are all very delicious. I love it! I want my friend to also love my cooking like how I love mother's cooking."

Calista was flattered from her daughter's compliment, "Okay, I'll teach you. I also want to eat my daughter's cooking."

"Yay! Mother is the best! I'll make my friend love my cooking so much he'll never leave me!

Are you really learning how to cook for a friend or for a lover? Calista stared at her daughter strangely.

In this past month, Feya had done many things for the sake of her friend. While she had been indeed concerned of her at first, it had faded quickly as everything Feya did was pretty negligible. This time though, what Feya did made Calista completely dumbfounded.

"Come… again?" She asked, looking at her daughter like she would when seeing an eccentric creature.

"Meet my friend, Sarius!" Feya said cheerfully as she pointed at the empty spot beside her, not noticing the look she was receiving from her mother.

"Your friend?"

"Yes! His name is Sarius!"

"Sarius is it… uh, where is he?" Calista looked around, trying to find the 'friend' of this daughter of hers, of course, only to find the area devoid of life sans her and Feya.

"Where are you looking at? He's right… huh, that's strange. Where is he?" the girl was about to point the empty spot beside her again when she noticed there was no one there.

"Honey, are you okay?" she crouched as she looked at her daughter worriedly. She's afraid that her daughter had taken her faith into another whole level and now she is starting to mix her reality and delusions into one.

Having faith is good and having a strong, unshakable faith is admirable. However too much of something no matter how good it is, is no longer healthy. Take for example, an exercise. Taking an exercise is nice; taking too much exercise on the other hand is dangerous for the heart. Another example is, wealth; having wealth can give satisfaction. Having too much of it though, can corrupt a person's character; then knowledge. Knowledge can help you much in your life. Too much knowledge on the contrary may very well lead to disasters. Faith is the same. Possessing too much faith… is downright harmful.

With Feya's faith at the present, Calista is worried that her daughter might be having hallucinations!

"I'm okay mother. I'm just a little upset that he left so suddenly but don't worry, I'll introduce him to you next time he comes back." she reassured her mother.

'That's not what I'm worried about…' Calista's face darkened.

"Mother, you know, I'm really happy today! We played so much and I really had a lot of fun!" a sad smile made its way on Calista's face. Were they too tight with their daughter? Had they been normal people only, all of this could have been avoided. They wouldn't have put too much restriction on her. They wouldn't have to fear for her safety for being targeted by others in order to use her as leverage against Metheus.

"I'm sorry, Honey." Her arms snaked around her daughter, putting her in her embrace.

"Why are you apologizing?" Feya was confused as she hugged her mother back.

"Mother and Father are both bad parents."

"That's not true at all! Mother and Father are the best parents in the world!"

What Feya said made the sadness on her face disappear. Even after all the things she had been through for being their daughter, she never blamed them even once. Her daughter was the type of person who would rather sacrifice her happiness than make her and her husband worry for her. Such consideration was rare for a child. She's lucky to have a daughter like her.

"I also have the best daughter in the world. I love you honey." She meant every word she said. Feya was the best thing that ever happened in her life.

"I love you too, mother."

Calista closed her eyes, letting herself relax in the embrace of her daughter. She found her situation quite amusing. To think that an adult like her found solace in the arms of someone so tiny, so small, yet with heart so big and pure. The only other person able to do this was her husband but it seems like her daughter can make her feel the same too.

Whoosh

Calista felt a gust of wind gracing her skin. Her brows furrowed as she looked around the room, checking the windows, doors, etc. to see if they had been closed. Her eyes widened considerably and her mouth went agape when her eyes finally landed on the balcony.

Standing on the balcony was a small ethereal figure coated in blue flame. He was a beautiful young boy who looked no older than her daughter. He has an azure blue hair that danced with the wind and has sharp dark blue eyes that looked as though it holds the entire universe with numerous stars within! Even though he was a child, he gave off the aura and grandeur as that of a god!

Calista felt her throat go dry as she stared wide-eyed at the divine being in front of her. Who is he? Is he a god? What is a being like that doing here?

"W-Who are you?" she asked with difficulty, finally finding her voice.

"Me?" the childish voice of the divine being rang through her ears. The being gave her a cheerful smile on his face as he looked at her, "My name is Sarius," his gaze then shifted to the girl huddled within her arms, "and I am Feya's friend, hello mother!"

Calista almost felt her soul leaving her body, "Mother?!"

The beautiful boy giggled. "Nice to meet you."