Mara - The Lady Grief (Completed)

71 Forever and Always

Time Immortal, Palace of Irkalla, City of Ersetu, The Underworld

Mara

I pat Nemha on her back until she gives me a very satisfying burp. My mother instantly claims her granddaughter, smiling at Nemha and setting her gently on the bed to dress her.

"Mama, look!" Poppy lets out a happy giggle and whirls around in a circle. Her dress of light grey is shot through with strands of pure, shining pink. A white fur stole is wrapped around the collar of the dress, making her red hair pop. On top of her head is a small circle of gold, the coronet set with dark onyx stones.

I smile. "You look beautiful, just like a princess," I tell her.

"Grandfather says, I am a princess!" Poppy giggles.

I force myself to seem cheerful. I'm still upset with my father. He knew that a god could forge themselves with a soul. He must have done that with my mother's Fated male years ago, before I was born, maybe. Did he know what Urto had planned? Was that his intention all along?

Stop it, Mara. I'll drive myself insane...

Harku taps my leg. In his arms is my wedding dress, a grown-up version of the one Poppy is wearing. Mushu keeps touching the fabric reverently, an action that gets his hand slapped away every time.

I slip into the robes of grey, feeling the soft linen caress my skin. The pink in the gown is less striking than Poppy's, instead there is gold everywhere. I am dripping in finery that I have never even seen before, much less worn. Harku even dusted my own skin with gold, my hair threaded through with the same.

Harku coos at me, smoothing the skirts down. His large, black bat-eyes blink in adoration.

"You did a wonderful job, Harku," I reassure him.

He sighs, rubbing his palms together. I turn to look at the females in the room. My females, my family.

I glance over at Napthia. I wasn't sure if I should allow her here, while I prepared for my wedding, but something in my heart tugged at her lost expression. I don't know much about her, but Lier said that judging from her lack of speaking and her reactions to everything, she hasn't seen much of the world.

I'm afraid she was locked in that cellar for most of her life. Now, she has Love in her, but how much of it is Love in truth and how much is Inanji?

The new Love goddess offers me a tentative smile before her eyes fall back to her lap. Tafia pats her hand gently.

Tafia. Another female I feel conflicted about. She returned, one of the souls that followed me from the Necropolis of the Lost. They are all here, in the lower levels of the Palace, free, but not exactly healthy.

How do you truly recover when your own soul betrays you? There is quite a lot of anger and resentment in their hearts and minds.

I look at Nehma. She is Righteous Vengeance. I wonder what role she will play with those hurting souls? The part of me that is Grief knows that she will have to be the one to help them, not me.

A knock comes. Alnue opens the door. Patriarch Rimon greets me, "it's time, Mara." His eyes mist over with emotion as he sees me. "You are a vision," he tells me quietly.

"Thank you, Patriarch," I murmur, feeling nervous. A wedding, Mardu calls it, but really what does that mean? Will we exchange gifts as if we live in the above? Will my males give my father a few sheep and a goat in exchange for his daughter? Will a marriage contract be written?