Chapter 68
Sixty-eight
James
Our meeting with the priests was specifically for two reasons: to translate the book and to look into the demonic energy Vuheia had mentioned.
For this, though, I needed a different temple than Vuheia’s.
Specifically, I needed the temple of Asyn—the Mother of All.
It was her priests who had spearheaded the research into the Demon King’s powers in my first life and come up with several good counters, so I had faith they could do it again. I just had to get things started.
Technically speaking, after a king took the throne, the first step was to visit the main temple of Asyn in order to be blessed. Granted, this visit was normally a grand celebration, including a short parade to the temple and back again, but I was doing an informal version today.
Edwin had already volunteered his sister, Lila, to help with the translation of the tome.
He’d sent a note to have her meet us there, and she was as punctual as her brother, waiting at the bottom of the steps when we arrived.
Superficially, Lila and Edwin were almost twins in looks, nearly of equal height and with rich black hair and stunning blue eyes.
Lila had her mother’s pixie nose, however, and didn’t wear glasses.
Which was a miracle, considering her nose was normally in a book.
She lit up upon our arrival and barely waited long enough for Edwin to descend from the carriage before she caught him up in a hug.
Edwin laughed, hugging her back. “You’re this excited over a new project?”
“Well, that,” she admitted without batting an eye, “but also for you! Look at you, snagging such a handsome husband.”
I loved how her priority wasn’t Edwin becoming king but him landing a husband. Lila really didn’t change, in this life or the one previous. She would have said the same then, too.
Stepping back, she bowed to me. “Your Majesty, delighted to meet you.”
That wouldn’t do. I didn’t want formality with my family. “I’d prefer to hug my new sister-in-law.”
She looked at me askance, then realized I was serious and her smile bounced back onto her face. She immediately stepped in and firmly hugged me around the waist. Yes, better. Much better.
I let her go. “You will be at the family dinner?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she promised. “Edwin’s told us what he could about you, but I think the whole family will feel better once they meet you. I promise they’re only overwhelmed. No one expected Edwin to become a king, after all!”
“Ha, true, I bet they didn’t.”
Our story was very much a rags-to-riches story, in some ways.
Not that Edwin had ever been dirt poor. His parents were good architects, which was why they’d been able to afford so many children.
Still, Edwin had started from the ground up at the palace and become king in the end. It was like a fairy tale.
A fairy tale I was determined would end well. No deaths for either of us, not this time.
Shaking the thought off, I gestured for the doors. “Shall we?”
We ascended the marble stairs, and the large gilded doors swung open just as my foot reached the top step.
The Temple of Asyn had been built nearly three hundred years ago, at the height of the Building Era; this temple was a reflection of the ingenuity, craftsmanship, and luxury of the time.
Almost every wall and floor were of white marble, the edges gilded in complex geometric patterns, with plush rugs of royal blue stretching along the walkways.
The candelabras were of elaborate phoenixes, a nod to the royal family’s generous donations that had helped build the place.
Before, I had found the atmosphere a bit intimidating and couldn’t imagine working here day in and day out.
Now, the place was strangely comforting. Like walking into a mother’s embrace? I couldn’t think of any other way to phrase this warm, welcoming feeling.
The high priest waited for us at the base of the main prayer altar, in formal robes of white with a blue shawl wrapping around half his body. Two priestesses flanked him on either side, also in formal robes. They bowed once I came within arm’s reach.
The high priest, though, stared at me with a stunned expression, mouth hanging open, eyes in danger of popping right out of his skull.
Why was he reacting so oddly?
“Priest Edes.” The priestess to the right nudged him in the ribs. “Priest Edes!”
Her poking didn’t even faze him. He stared another five seconds before pulling himself together. Even then he visibly searched for words.
Let me rescue him a little. “Priest Edes, I am James Kronenscheld.”
“I know who you are,” he managed, still sounding stunned, his expression one of wonder. “James Kronenscheld, King of Zuskal, Defeater of the Demon King, Knight of Vuheia, and One Who Returns.”
The words penetrated, and I realized in a flash that he knew. He could somehow see that I had lived once already and returned to the past. How did he know?
“Asyn has told me much about you,” he continued, reaching toward me. “I have been waiting for you to come.”
Ah. So she’d given him a heads-up, eh? I’d love to get the full details of what she’d told him, but we should probably find a good place to sit first.
I took his hand in a firm grip. “I will thank Asyn for telling you. It will make it much easier for me to tell you all that needs to be done. I feared I would have to somehow convince you.”
“Perish the thought.”
“This is my husband, Edwin.”
Priest Edes shook hands with him, still beaming. “Your Majesty. Asyn wished me to relay a message to you. She said, and I quote, ‘Thank you for being smart this time.’ I have no idea what she means. Do you?”
Edwin choked on a laugh. “I do indeed.”
“We have much to talk about, and sadly, I only have about two hours,” I said apologetically. “May we sit?”
“Of course, of course. I have tea laid out in the garden. Come and rest. Explain what you need from us.”
The garden proved to be in the back of the building, a shaded portico area with a water fountain in the corner and beautifully maintained flower beds along the walls. A truly beautiful place. I suspected Priest Edes spent as much time out here as he could.
A round table with a snowy tablecloth was laden with tea and cookies. I took a seat immediately, silently encouraging the others to sit as well. I didn’t want people standing on formality around me. That attitude wasn’t conducive to the meeting I wanted to hold.
Still, one person hesitated before sitting. Lila kept staring at me oddly, as if she wasn’t sure what to make of things. I pulled the seat out on my left side, encouraging her.
“Sit, Lila. I’ll explain.”
“This is going to be a doozy of an explanation,” she muttered, taking the seat. “I thought I knew why I was here, but now I’m no longer sure.”
“It’s more complicated than I said in my note,” Edwin said, a tone of apology in the words. “I thought it best to explain later. I didn’t expect Priest Edes to know.”
Priest Edes regarded Edwin very carefully. “But you clearly know.”
“Yes, James told me. I don’t remember it for myself.”
Lila put her hands into prayer fashion. “Someone start from the beginning, please?”
I obliged, starting from when I was first made king in my previous life, keeping to the broader strokes, as I didn’t have time to do a full deep dive into the story.
Nor did they need every single detail. Edwin had, but few other people deserved to know everything, nor did they even require such information.
An hour flew by as I talked, and I had to stop and drink some tea, wetting my throat, in order to finish.
Fortunately, Edwin picked up the story while I drank, explaining the rest, and doing a very nice job. Only then did I realize tears were standing in Lila’s eyes.
Was she sad? No, that didn’t seem right, but I couldn’t decipher the emotion on her face.
Edwin clearly could, because he offered his sister a handkerchief. “Yes, sister mine, he loves me that much. Vuheia herself confirmed he really refused Paradise if I couldn’t go with him. It is part of the reason why I married him.”
I shouldn’t tease, but… “What’s the other reason?”
He eyed me up and down and gave me a sultry little smirk. “You have other amazing attributes as well.”
This audacious little flirt. I snickered.
Lila used the handkerchief, but she also grinned at us. “I can tell you’re newlyweds. All right, I feel like I need to sleep for a week to let the story sink in, but you obviously told us all of this for a reason. Is the Demon King still set to return in this life?”
“Rather, I want to take precautions against it.” I sighed. “I suspect he might, because Vuheia said there’s demonic energy about—”
Everyone in earshot except Edwin and Priest Edes sucked in a startled breath.
“—and Nimus gave us a tome on how to defeat the Demon King, which I think is a big enough hint on its own. Priest Edes, I come to you with two requests.”
Priest Edes immediately bowed his head. “Name them and they shall be done.”
“First, I am giving you the tome. Lila, I understand, is an expert in Old Tongue and can help you translate, but we’ve been told by Nimus himself a spell I need to seal the Demon King is in the book. Translate and copy the spell as quickly as you can.”
Edwin took the book from his bag and handed it to his sister. She took the tome with reverent hands, the look on her face eerily similar to when Edwin got handed a new book he was very excited about. Those two were definitely siblings.
“I’ll get right on this,” she promised gleefully.
“I believe you,” I answered dryly, which got her cackling.
Lila and I had always gotten along well, and sitting here with her felt like stepping back into our comfortable friendship once more.
I refocused. “Priest Edes, as you know, I need you and your priests to develop tracking spells. I also need you to work with the other temples and share whatever information you receive, as we’re doomed otherwise.
The ability to detect and trace demonic energy will come in handy very shortly if things go to shit like I suspect.
I can give you only a little guidance, I’m afraid.
It was explained to me how you did it in my first life, but admittedly, most of the explanation went over my head. ”
“Any hints will help,” he promised me.
Edwin promptly pulled another notebook out of his bag and handed it over.
I looked on in confusion. “Er, dearest?”
“I wrote it all down,” he said, giving me his speaking look. “Not only what you could remember but how the spells were used, so he has context to work from as well.”
I blinked. “When did you do this?”
“Here and there, as you mentioned things to me.”
I had to shake my head. “This kingdom will be forever saved because you write things down.”
Priest Edes was already skimming through the pages, smiling. “This is incredibly helpful. So much information here! Thank you, King Edwin.”
“You’re very welcome. If he thinks of anything else, I’ll tell you. He does remember bits and pieces he doesn’t include in the original telling. It’s why I started writing things down.”
Edwin had every right to be proud of himself. That was good work, there. And saved me a lot of explaining.
Priest Edes clutched the notebook to his chest and promised Edwin, “This book will become part of our annals.”
Now my husband looked alarmed. “Wait, it was just notes, I didn’t do that good of a job writing it all down! Give it back, I’ll write a better copy—”
Priest Edes clutched the notebook tighter to his chest. “Not on your life. Er, Your Majesty.”
I tried not to laugh. They reminded me of two schoolboys arguing over the same toy. Hold it in, hold it in, hold it in…
“You don’t have the time to rewrite it,” I pointed out to Edwin. “We’re up to our necks in tasks as it is.”
He made a face, nose wrinkling, but didn’t argue.
“Priest Edes, can I leave this to you?”
“Of course, Your Majesty, and I promise you weekly updates.”
“Thank you. Please make sure we have plenty of holy oil as well. I’m sure Edwin wrote it in the book, but anointed holy oil on a person’s forehead will keep them from being possessed. We want to keep enough holy oil on hand to anoint our soldiers, protect them.”
“I’ll ask all the temples to start working on it,” he promised.
“Very good. I’m afraid we’re out of time, but if you need to confer with me, I will make time for you. I promise you this.”
Priest Edes bowed his head, so happy and excited I was surprised he hadn’t vibrated out of his chair already. “I would love to sit and properly talk with you about what you experienced in the waiting area and write that experience down as well.”
“Likely a good idea,” I said ruefully. “On that note, we must leave. Lila, I’ll see you tonight?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” she promised.
We made graceful farewells, left the garden—picking up my knights, who were waiting by the front door—and were in the carriage on the way back to the palace before I asked Edwin my burning question.
“Why did you start writing things down?”
Edwin gave me a pitying look. “Darling, you told me point-blank the reason why you struggled so hard battling the Demon King was because the prior generation who’d fought him didn’t write down their methods.
You had to reinvent those methods all over again, which cost you time and lives.
After hearing that, did you expect me to repeat the mistake and not write things down? ”
It was official. My husband was smarter than me.