"Your majesty, your brother Young Duke Karl wishes to seek an audience with you." Layla who was sitting with Marianna by her bedside nodded to the servant and soon the doors opened with a dangerous male entering with clear cerulean irises that were deep and unmoved as if unfazed by anything in the world."Greetings to your majesty, Empress of Ardos." Karl bowed with keeping all eloquence and etiquettes and it looked polite yet in reality this was clearly telling Layla -' Since you choose Ardos above your family and decided to do as your wish by marrying Icarus, you have displeased me.'Layla drank a dark green medical concoction and did not look up at all, gently blowing the leaves in the hot bowl, she then sipped it with great elegance before handing it to a maid nearby.Everything was done without any hurry thus she did not asked Karl to rise."Why is the emperor so late today?""Sister, it must be that he is still investigating the fire." Marianna replied while simply flipping the
Layla looked around herself and there was some sort of a frowning expression on her lips. One minute she was in the imperial palace of Ardos waiting for Icarus and then another in this strange dark place where everything was absolutely pitch black...what was going on?The female tried standing up and walking ahead to search for a source of light yet could not find any even after walking for several minutes. It was just like a long dark tunnel without any end. "Do you remember me?" A voice echoed in the space and Layla stood frozen."Who is it? What do you want from me?" After moments of silence there was a smiling voice that replied."Me? I am you." It was all confusing for the female. Everything so chaotic until a figure came out of nowhere with her visage illuminated by bright light. She resembled Layla in all aspects- voice, face, figure and mind yet there was something that was still different."I am Ilaria, I am you." The woman with violet irises smiled and nodded at Layla"I-I
NOT EDITEDLayla's pov"Father wasn't I always your favorite child...no matter how much you disliked our mother, wasn't I the one whom you have still adored, even more than Layla?" I saw Marianna speaking those words to Duke Everdale with some sort of a insane and eerie calmness.Standing in the head office I saw the scene which seemed to be too far-fetched for once the ducal house which was considered almighty had its duke looking so pale and ill."I-I have wronged my child.....I have sinned, tell me what do you want Marianna?" He sighed, his eyes dull and sunken, bled dry after crying for hours. It was just a day after my funeral and maybe my father was regretting ruining his daughter's life and mourning my early demise."Then father, please drink this." Marianna poured a glass of red wine which was always something that my father loved since young but seeing the scene I could not help but tremble. He looked at Marianna's face in shock before it subsided and a blooming smile graced
Not editedLayla was in the middle of a hallway that seemed too familiar to be a mirage of illusion when she saw a man inside the parlor pouring himself alcohol from the exquisite glass bottle and there was not much that reflected on his face. He wasn't sad enough to cry and didn't looked to be happy either instead there was a calm that spread throughout the place including his own demeanor, his father's funeral took a day after Layla and the person to be made the new Duke of Everdale was his brother Karl.A month has passed since the catastrophe struck their ducal house.Leon drank till he could not even distinguish his surroundings and had stopped attending court, the young master known to be a distinguished prodigy now was just a drunkard. Layla saw the scene and felt a little bit of sympathy for the male who was a blood relative yet there was no profound emotion for him.For Layla and Leon have never mixed well. Layla wanted to turn away for she did not wished to know what happen
"Brother must have never felt what it is to suffocate around evil beings, now this sister gives you a chance...strangle him."Shadow guards given by Duke Everdale to Marianna entered the chamber swiftly while the female ignored the wailing brother of her and left the chamber as if watching Leon a second more gave her disgust, Layla could not still leave the place and with her own eyes saw Leon falling down from his seat like a madman struggling to get away from those men.One of the shadows dragged him by his hair while another strangled him with a rope.It was a horrible sight to see but the god made sure that Layla watched it, this was redemption, justice and above all the vengeance of the horror she felt and karma soon came back at full force to throttle those that had once haunted her.The scene changed and before Layla could stop she was shifted to the place where she was once punished to enter- the study of Emperor Icarus in Ardos where he buried Ilaria. Layla had endured a lot
Layla had to see so much of her past that she was almost exhausted, she felt like everything she had the curiosity about was already known to her. Surprisingly she had the idea of the timeline and it was roughly a month since Leon and Karl died.She also wished to see Jeremiah's end thus had walked down to the underground prison previously but his terrible screams made her halt back and not venture inside. She did not wish to see that sight or it might scar her soul forever.But since this was the end of her curiosity then why was she still here and not back?Layla saw Icarus sorting out certain documents in his study before a soldier entered."Your majesty Miss Marianna is here." The Emperor of Ardos nodded and the female was carried inside before the chamber doors were closed.The was a silence extending for a long time before Icarus felt a touch onto his eyelids, Layla saw the scene unfolding and did not know what to feel for both the people she loved. One was standing like a stro
Tiny chapter to end the past once for all!After that Layla saw the past life entirely unfolding with her own eyes. Her son who was a pure soul had attained the blessings of gods with his selflessness and reincarnated as Marianna. Despite having no memories of her past life as Arvaram, Marianna was still fiercely protective of Layla and devoted to Icarus.It was maybe a connection of blood that could never be forsaken.After her own death unlike Illaria, Layla received a proper burial and Icarus let her to rest while he himself lived for the sake of Marianna till he died at the age of forty while in deep sleep. He still loved her but it was not a desperate beastly obsession but more of a wish that she would be happy in heaven and they would reunite soon.Living with her memories wasn't so burdensome anymore for him for he asked about each and every wish of Layla and fulfilled it by doing it himself so that when she would watch him from heaven she would not be sad anymore until he died
Darkest of onyx covered the skies of the Ardos making it seem like a canvas sprinkled with glimmering flowers yet the emperor did not had time to enjoy such pure events for he was buried in his tedious work."What is this rubbish?" The male while sorting his personal belongings found many ancient manuscripts containing historical books of kings and queens of past but they were so boring that his head ached thus he tossed them aside, these might as well serve as charcoal for upcoming winters.The documents piled up like a tiny hill when there was a knock on the door and Icarus was going to stay silent while not giving his permission to enter before the door was gently pushed with a pink head peaking inside."Can I please come inside.""Layla? Oh yes, what is it?" He just gave her a glance and then resumed scribbling with his head down, it was only when the angel opened her mouth did he really looked up."The head maid told me that the NorthStar is meant to shine the brightest today and
Mortal realm was thrown into chaos after Layla fell sick and lay down in a comatose state almost seeming like in a deep sleep but the immortal realm was just as it was.An ethereal female was lying near the pond filled with crystal blue water, with sunlight slowly drizzling on her face she looked towards the sun and twirled lazily."Is it good?" Someone walked closer to her and enquired."Hmm" She basked in the gentle warmth and smiled at the male before propelling herself on her knees and looking at him sitting infront of her in the midst of a green field full of flowers that bloomed just with his presence."I am here to take you back to the mortal realm....Do you perhaps do not wish to return?" There was some hesitation in his voice as he gazed at her with anxiousness."Do you want me to go?""No..." Narairis replied before resuming."...But they want you more than me, Icarus waits for you to regain your body from a comatose state and Marianna even made a pact with me-" Laughter bubbl
Next is epilogueWhen the world was created, the supreme god to emerge was God Narairis who ventured alone in the immortal realm for eons, not finding a place to either keep his mind at work or to rest, for both the concepts were foreign to him and he was alone until the god of darkness, Ayrm descended in the form of a sleeping dragon who refused to open his eyes for another tens of thousands of years.While the dragon slept in the molten pits with his scales as hard as rocks and eyes darker than any red rubies God Narairis looked after him, fascinated with another thing that breathed it was initially a curiosity but accompanying one another in complete isolation for eons they formed an inseparable bond.Ayrm's dragon scale changed with time, and in the process amours golden liquid- the blood of a god dribbled down his back and touched the ground for the first time and formed a small golden pool.From this blood pool emerged the goddess of light Aria.Sounds of laughter echoed in the
"I love General Helios" The female had walked towards the very corner of the ballroom and clutched the commander's arm before declaring in an enriching voice filled with emotion. Not only Marianna rejected Duke Valentine without any explanations but had instead proposed another man infront of the entire empire. Just like that the ball had ended with many whispers in the background.A loud crashing echoed in a silent chamber at the very corner of the duchy and multiple goblets filled with medicinal liquid shattered on the ground.He was so tired of this."How long are you going to give in to their impudence?" Steps that were quiet eager to enter suddenly stopped outside the doors listening to the frustrated voices talking inside the room."You are in no position to raise a question about them, remember your place." It quieted down the murmurs and a long silence extended after the raged admonition."How long will A-no her name is now Layla, so how long will Layla live?""Not long now, j
Everdales have invited empire's best archmages and nobility along with the imperial family of Avesta, even the foreign nobles were graciously called to celebrate a ball in the honor of their daughter- Empress Layla and Emperor Icarus.At the surface no matter how much animosity Leon and Karl had against Icarus and dislike for Layla's choice yet for the people they were a picture of a completely harmonious family. The momentum of the extravagant ball had begun with the oncoming of the Layla whose cheeks were tinted pink thus matching her eyes."Can you please cover it up?""No honeybee, It already looks pretty." The palm encasing hers clutched Layla reassuringly as if encouraging her, but for what? For enduring embarrassment?'LAYLA' freshly written with dark ink was partially visible when top buttons on the emperor's attire were unfastened, displaying a portion of his chest. Many noble ladies looked at him shyly, got a glimpse of his body, saw the name and heard little shattering soun
Jeremiah Valentine- Layla's husband in past lifeA room which was all dark, without a single lamp or source of light was the only solace for Duke Valentine in these months. The day when his fiancée had slapped him was fresh in his memory as if just yesterday.He suggested a blissful relationship where she would give birth to his heir...their heir, what was so wrong in that?On Layla's birthday he had decorated his castle for her with pure white roses, he wished to apologize if his words hurt her in any way then why, why did she decide to leave him and go to Ardos. He would have been a good husband, a good person, and a good father to their children.For the world around, more than a year passed since the incident, but for Jeremiah Valentine who was always drunken and delirious not even a single thing changed.Duke Everdale was so raged with him that all their connections were severed and the emperor looked at him with displeasure so what was left for him apart from her memories?The o
"Your Highness, the empress is suffering from elipsamy." Helios had earlier smiled at Layla and reassured her that she was only bleeding from her nose and mouth because of eating wild mushrooms that she was allergic to yet the truth was completely different."...M-My mother...my mother had it, is sister going to be fine?..." Marianna could barely speak while Icarus was so afraid that his entire face was ashen. Who would have thought that his precious flower like Layla would have such a monstrous disease that first weakened the bones and deteriorated the body to such an extent that the person looked like a corpse.It was horrible."Its a good thing." Duke Everdale was passing through the hallways earlier and had heard the commotion of the male screaming for his commander thus he stopped and eavesdropped, to think that his daughter had the same disease that killed his wife was heartbreaking but when Helios said it was a good thing, Damien was enraged."What does your word fucking mean?"
The carriage with insignia of the royal family opened making Damien's heart beat erratically, Layla was back.It was just that he never expected that the dangerous emperor whom he hated would emerge with Layla in his hold who was not even aware that they had reached the ducal house for she was sleeping soundly with her hands around his neck.If one was to think clearly it was almost as if Icarus had kept Layla awake the entire night so as to tire her out to this extent. Whenever she had slowly descended to the sleeping realm he had pushed inside her and made love to her innumerable times with slow movements that at the end it made her wide awake with tears dripping down her cheeks. Her thighs were coated with his semen but she did not even had the energy to get up and wash herself.After morning came she was finally allowed to take a nap and slept through the process of bathing and getting dressed."Welcome your highness the Emperor, welcome your majesty the empress of Ardos-"Servants
Warning" MatureVenus, the goddess of love and beauty shone as an evening star over the mortal realm, and the entire arena was stained with darkness, tents were set and Layla was escorted by her husband to one of the carven. It was a place like this previously when she had an argument with her father over marrying Icarus, it was here he raised his hand at her."Are you cold?" Layla seemed to have not heard Icarus and stared blankly at the ground, only when her thick fur cloak was taken off her bare shoulders did she raise up her head and stare at the golden irises that were gazing at her lovingly."I don't want to forgive them.""Then don't." Warm liquid was poured down her bare shoulders and massaged with rough palms as they left burning touches, Layla did not even realize that she was freezing cold and her muscles so stiff as she thought about hateful things until the gentle fingers dug into her flesh and slow circles were rubbed.A dark euphonic voice thrummed behind her back as a
Imperial entourage consisting of the Emperor and Empress along with young Duke Everdale, Princess Marianna, and General Helios embarked on the journey to Avesta.Layla and Icarus were going to share a carriage and the emperor of Ardos was extremely pleased with the arrangements, he had asked maids to wrap up cheese sandwiches and different kinds of pastries along with some tea so that throughout the journey he could enjoy watching Layla as she stuffed her face like a chipmunk.It was just that, maybe the chef was so touched when his majesty made a personal request that the edibles delivered were so much that it could not be carried by a single servant thus a train of people followed the emperor.When they saw Icarus smile they smiled too for this eccentric person for once was pleased.The carriage doors opened and the smile on Icarus's face soon turned to a scowl when he saw a wide-eyed Helios looking at him."You, get out!""N-No! I am asking sir Helios questions, you can take Marian