CHAPTER: 4

"She shall be my wife!" The figure in white descended, the awe of its entrance surpassed mortal imagination. Hazelkar could not believe his eyes. Auxillium could feel his anger vaporising, seething through the air. There was something going on between the two, tension straining the atmosphere. His mother's mouth was agape, as if her life had left her.

As people came to realisation, in an instant all heads had bowed. What was happening? Before Auxillium could grasp onto the subject, Hazelkar was dragging her away to the exit. The camellia blooms withered, fire engulfed them as he passed, Auxi in arms. Their steps echoed in the marble hallways.

"Wait!"

The footsteps came to a halt. Auxillium feared for herself and for him too. As she turned, the figure in white was clearer now, the light now dimmed to a halo. A white robe wrapped till his ankles, floating in mid air.

"She is my wife to be. Do not dare take her away."

Hazelkar grabbed on her wrist, raising them to the sky, "We have been wedded in the eyes of God, Zaireen."

The animosity evident, she could not understand the sudden retaliations. Who was this man who wished to wed her? What was the reason behind Hazelkar's sudden anger?

"Married?" Zaireen's feet fell to the ground. "Married?"

"I will be leaving now!"

In a blinding flash of light, Hazelkar brought forth his angel wings. Holding Auxillium's hand, he took off as Zaireen looked onto them. "Zaireen!" His mother called after him, his mother, the Queen of Heavens.

*

Auxillium had never before seen the clouds so up close. Hazelkar had sat her down on one, his anger receding. She didn't dare ask him but things had already been made a mess of. They had left the feast in between, adding to the animosity he shared with his parents. Now that she had seen his mother, she knew where he got his cold nature from. Dressed from head to toe in silk and lace, pearls adding worth to her neck, she didn't even crack a smile as she saw her son whom she hadn't seen or heard from in years. Judging from what Groca had told her, Hazelkar had relented only because he thought his mother had wished for him to come. Now that he had, the situation seemed quite the opposite.

The cold breeze blew, her blue dress fluttering in the wind. Hazelkar seemed unusually quite. Though she hadn't known him for long, he seemed cold but jubilant. Something only he could be. He sat next to her, his legs crossed, his face resting on his knees. His poise, manner and authority had somehow vanished in this moment of terror and raw emotions.

"Did you often come here as a child?"

"Yes, I did. With Delilah, who you met." She could sense disappointment in his voice. "I can see why you came here."

The sky was a bottomless blue, the manors a mere spec below them. The High Heavens had thick, lush forests covering every inch other than the palace. Auxillium could see the herd of elephants sleeping by the lake with its water so clear, she could see straight to the bottom.

"It's magnificent."

"Now that you have been a part of the drama, it's better if I tell you the entire story." He didn't even wait for her to acknowledge his sudden announcement.

"The man you saw, Zaireen, he was my younger brother. I had then exceptional skills and was very capable of ruling the kingdom. My preparation for my corronation as the King were on the way. Everyone was so happy."

He took a break, breathing in the cold air. "You might not know but there's a level above the High Heavens, Moksha. The Divine Fire spells out the name of the people who had ascended to the level of Angels. It is quite prestigious but to become an Angel of God, you must go through vigorous tasks. Many don't make it out alive and those who do are haunted for the rest of their lives. Zaireen too was chosen. I was the one who brought him the letter. But he was scared, after all he was so, so young. His utter sadness forced me to repeal the Order. I was to fight against the Angels and defeat them for them to take back Zaireen's summon. And I did. I fought nail and tooth but I could not win."

"When I returned, I came to a pungent home. My father believed I was against the Order and had brought bad name to the family. My brother told them I was the sole perpetrator of the Summon, citing jealousy as my motive. My father, the King of Heavens, stripped me of my Crown and banished me to the Netherworlds."

"I did not wish to return, but reconciliation was amidst one of my worries. I do not know how Zaireen came to the feast today. Angels cannot on their own descend without the permission of the Divine Fire. I also do not know why he asked to marry you. His intentions are outside of my capacity to understand."

Auxillium's placed a arm by his shoulders, "I can't say that I feel and understand your pain for that would be a great disregard to your hurt but for all I can offer is a friendship."

They sat there, arm on shoulder, without speaking a word and somehow it had levied off a great pain in his heart.

"Are we of a brethren now?"

"Maybe, yes."

To her, the fragility of the moment did not discourage her from voicing her thoughts, it only empowered her beliefs.

"Maybe we have been married in hushed, hurried wedding. I do not why you did not think it through - to have married a woman you do not know, but now that you have, I have seen your level headedness, your composure and calm. I can only offer a friendship as your supposed wife. As long as you need it. I do not know what will happen in the future, but I hope that all turns out for the good."

"Let's go," he said standing up, "being morbid wouldn't do us any good." As Auxillium held onto his hands, there was a newfound faith between the two. He jumped off, flapping his winds, the majestic winds of which could blow of the mightiest mountains. As they neared the ground, he slowed down, stepping down softly on the grass beneath.

"I have been here for years, but I think they might still be here." Auxillium did not know what he was talking about, his voice was barely a whisper. He held up his finger to his lips, "Ssh!" They slithered along the bushes, the pleasant noise of water falling filled the air. "I know they did nest here, but I do not know if they would still be here."

They arched out near the mouth of a cave, with water flowing above it. Talk trees surrounded them, a sight Auxillium never had seen before.

His footsteps as light as a dancer, he took her to the cave, his moves hesitant. Glee could not define the happiness she felt when she saw them! Baby squirrels! Born maybe a few days ago.

"You liked it?" The smile on her face said it all. The cave had little nests, lined with the smallest of baby squirrels.

"I found this place maybe when I was a few thousand years. I never brought Delilah here though, she was so scared of squirrels."

Holding one of the babies in her hands, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Look, look at it. Look how her chest is rising as she breathes."

For no amount of money could Hazelkar have sold that moment for - a moment of pure joy and love, his anger, his resentment set aside maybe for another day. "How do you know it's a girl?"

"Well, how do you know it's a boy?"

God, that girl wouldn't let him win!

"Fair enough!"

Cradling one of the baby squirrels, he said, "I saw them when I was crossing by here with my uncle. He taught me how to hold them. No, don't do it like that." He reached out, making out her arms into a cradle, resting the child upon it. Auxillium was frozen to her spot. She knew him to be a daft senator but not a loving father to his squirrels. He was passionate about the ones he loved. Will she ever be one? She bashed that idea as soon as she thought of it! No! Thinking of him like that is strictly forbidden.

"I know I will seem stupid, but I do not know your name."

"It's Auxillium. I told you."

"No, like your full name?"

"It's Auxillium. Auxillium Homi Nibus."

"I know it's a weird name, don't make that face!"

"I apologise. I haven't yet met someone with a name so unique. What does it mean?"

"I don't know. I mean I know I should know it but.. well my father passed away before he could tell me. Even my mother didn't know it. All she knew was that my father put a lot of effort into naming me."

A heavy mournful silence hung around them. He had not felt grief in his life. Though he did not get along with his parents, but losing a loved one was something he did not wish to encounter.

"I am sorry for your loss." He seemed genuine in his reproach. Maybe it was the day, the water or just the moment but then and there they had broken a boundary - a standstill boundary, but they were afraid to cross over to the other side.

"It is okay. It has been a long time. I do miss him, but the pain isn't as much now."

Wishing to revert back to the happy lad he saw moments ago, he changed the topic, awkwardness evident in the air.

"How was your life in the mortal realm?"

"My life?"

"Hmm."

"I was born on 4th of July. My parents had me when they were barely thirty. My father was a chief engineer at the factory near my house and my mom stayed at home to take care of me. When I was ten, my father died one day in a freak accident at the factory. After the funeral, I had to be rushed to the hospital. Somehow I had contracted or developed a disease that caused my body to just stop working. Machines fed me, breathed for me. It hurt a lot, physically I mean. They would keep me in medically induced comas to reduce my burden."

She paused, catching her breath, "Actually I was quite happy when I died. I was rid of my pain, my mother no longer had to look after a sick child. Not that it's wrong to have a sick child but it wore her so thin. She was always at the hospital, basically living out of it. I hope she's living a better life now."

Her ability to lay bare her emotions baffled him. All he could do was nod in response. But his heart! It wriggled with guilt of what he must to do her. If it had not been for that bet, he would not have ever met her. Now that he had, the rising guilt echoed in his empty hearts.

"Is she the one?"

As he looked back to find the owner of the voice, all of his fears came true.