Most Valerian youths consider their eighteenth birthday as the final step in their childhood. They are now considered adults by the world. Some celebrate this with wine, while others prefer the more primal pleasures of adulthood.
Fenthwick would be celebrating it differently from anyone else.
A week had gone by since his mother told him about his father's pact with the Goddess. He had spent the week in solitude, trying to prepare himself for what he had to do.
The news had spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom. The reactions ranged from incredulity to disbelief. No one dared even harbour negative thoughts towards this arrangement as it would earn them the wrath of Eirene herself. Fenthwick's fame had reached previously unimaginable heights as every conversation in the kingdom focussed on his impending task. He got an ocean of letters advising him how to best please the Goddess.
The only voice he truly cared about was Catherine.
While Catherine might have been inwardly sad that she would not be his first, she realized the futility of her grief. There was no way, she could convince him to deny Eirene. However, she feared that after copulating with the celestial divinity herself, Fenthwick would lose interest in her.
He steadfastly promised her that he would return and be hers forever. This encounter would mean nothing to him. It was just something he would have to do. She agreed to his view and released him from his vow to her. She further promised that she would be waiting for him when he returned.
He wore his finest garments and his gold edged tunic. He rode is horse across the plains until finally he saw her fabulous palace from a distance. It was on Earth and yet it was somehow unearthly in its look. It looked grander than anything the human mind could possibly conceive with it's impossibly high minarets and spires disappearing into the clouds. The entire structure was built of material so white, that it dazzled in the sun from a distance.
From inside the recesses of that building, Eirene looked over the entire universe. It was also where young Fenthwick would be deflowered.
He rode up to the gates and shackled his horse to a nearby tree. Taking a deep breath, he approached the gate. It swung open on its own. A towering Seraphim angel descended from the sky. He took a step back as she folded her massive wings behind her. Her metallic armour glittered in the sunlight and she had a kindly expression on her face.
"The Goddess has been expecting you. Come with me, young prince."
Still in awe of her magnificent splendour, he followed her through the lush green undulating terrain that ever so gently sloped upwards towards the central structure. The angel went on.
"She has really been looking forward to this day. I have even suggested she speed up time to make it come faster, but she was defiant that you should get to enjoy your childhood and grow up to be a man before she meets you. You may be aware that she looked out for you all your life."
He was aware. Someone could lunge straight at his heart with a blade and it would miss him. He always suspected higher forces at play, but never imagined anything quite on this scale.
Once inside the massive structure, he was escorted to the court of the Goddess. Eirene ruled with an iron fist from here. He sensed he would get to see her legendary retribution in action. He saw her on a throne which rested atop a pyramidal structure. From this lofty height, she looked down upon a creature of darkness. The creature's limbs were shackled as he stood there, defiantly.
"You have been found guilty of creating your own species and letting them loose on my planets, where they have been harming my own creations. Do you have anything to say?"
There was no reply. Fenthwick peered up at her visage. It was plain and impassive as she considered what to say next.
"It pains me. You are the last of your kind, the ones who have the power to create beings of your own. Your kind have existed from before I came to power, hence I did not get to temper your race. I hoped they would not transgress their boundaries, but they did so, repeatedly."
There was not so much as a flicker of emotion in her eyes as she surveyed the chained beast.
High above the floor, there was a brilliant flash of white light. The dazzling illumination travelled down and enveloped the creature. In that instant, it passed from beast, to silhouette, to legend. In the very next moment, the flash was gone and not a sign of him remained.
Eirene shook her head sadly. Her eyes travelled up the floor to the back of the court. Fenthwick stood there, in silent awe of what he had just witnessed. She rose from her seat and slowly made her way down the steps. Each step carried the regal elegance of a benevolent celestial overlord. He was still dazed as she walked up to him. Reaching out her slender arm, she ran a finger from his forehead down his cheek and neck.
"So beautiful. As if I had formed you from clay with my own hands."
Broken out of his reverie, Fenthwick hurriedly got on his knees in a reverent gesture. His eyes remained wide open, trying to make sense of what was about to happen.
"Follow me to my bedchamber, young man."
He quietly walked behind her. Not daring to look ahead. The walk seemed to last forever. A new feeling had made it's way into Fenthwick's psyche- fear. No matter, how much he had steeled himself for this eventuality, he could not deny that he was afraid as ever.
He tried his best to hide his fear and put up a brave front, but failed miserably. His forehead was plastered with tiny beads of cold sweat. He clasped his palms together, but they were shaking with fear.
A nameless dread permeated his being. His eyes followed the graceful elegance of Eirene as she glided through the corridors. Several involuntary shudders coursed through his spine as he struggled to walk steadily.
Finally, she stopped in front of a large ornate door studded with dazzling gemstones, hitherto unseen by the human eye. It opened into a large bedchamber. The walls were whiter than pure ivory and a strange ethereal ambience filled the room.
The doors closed behind them. There was no escape now.
She went over and sat at the edge of her luxurious bed. Softly, she ushered him in front of her. Each step seemed to take an eternity as he inched his way across the void between them. Finally, he stood before her.
From this distance, he could see her features clearly. This was the closest any human had been to her. She was a few inches taller than him. Her face was beautifully crafted, almost sculpted. The radiant complexion of her skin gave a glow to her countenance. Two thin, beautifully arched eyebrows framed her eyes. The eyes themselves were pale green, like the Earth she had created for them. Behind those eyes was that mind that ruled the entire cosmos, the way a benevolent mother takes care of her pride. She seemed capable of much love and much fury, should it be required.
"Why are you afraid, my child?"
That sentence pierced his stoical demeanour. He fell to his knees and clasped his hands in an imploring gesture.
"Please don't hurt me, my Goddess. Please. My parents love me a lot, my subjects love me a lot. They would be heartbroken if I did not make it back home. Please, my Goddess, let me go back unharmed. My one true love Catherine will never be able to recover from her grief should some harm befall me."
She studied his expression minutely. There were tears flowing down his cheeks in tiny rivulets. His body was gently wracked by his sobs. All his preparation and mental fortitude had failed miserably when the time came. He just stood there, facing the ground, sobbing like baby.
The mighty warrior prince had never been so afraid of anything in his life.
He felt an open palm against his chin. It slowly raised his face until he was directly facing her. He tried turning away, but she gently turned his face back towards her.
"Come here, young Fenthwick. Come into my arms and give me all those fears."
Tentatively, he walked into her open arms. She stood up off the bed and enveloped him in her embrace. He seemed surprised as she buried her face in his shoulder and just held on to him. He knew that she could take away his free will and make him do what she wanted, but she did not.
"Do not be afraid, young man. You have just stepped out of childhood and are on the cusp of being an adult. One day, you shall be king, just like your father is now."
He stood there, trying to make sense of it all. Eirene hugged harder. There was a soothing quality to her voice which assuaged his fears somewhat.
