"DID YOU bring the snow with you?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but I can't fully control the weather, Soleil," Kalel said in an amused tone. "Do you like the snow?"

"Not really. I like warm weather the most," Soleil confessed, then she pointed at the beautiful white flowers underneath the deciduous trees in front of them. "But they bloom every time it snows, and that what makes me love this weather."

She brought Kalel to her favorite part of the man-made forest that surrounded her residence.

It was in the middle of the woods. Since she would often train there, her servants built a cabin for her and it was just behind them.

Right now though, she and Kalel were seated on a bench. They were having tea while enjoying the tea together. It was already late at night but aside from the full moon that made the night sky a little brighter than usual, there were also floating spirit stones around them.

Those spirit stones were made of their clan's flame. So basically, they were like floating candles that light up the surroundings. And since the flame was from the Fire Mages, ordinary snow or water wouldn't be able to put them out.

"Snowdrops," Kalel said, cutting off her thoughts. "Those flowers are called snowdrops."

"They look like little bulbs."

Much to her pleasant surprise, he chuckled. "That's true."

She smiled not because he agreed with her, but she found his happy face really soothing. "Lord Kalel, are you serious about wanting to marry me?"

"I am."

"What made you realize that you want to marry me suddenly?"

"It's not 'suddenly,'" he denied while shaking his head. "You already know that I have feelings for you before the Crades war began, don't you?"

She nodded, then she pouted. "But you gave up on me easily."

"You turned me down."

Well, she couldn't refute that.

"I don't know where to put myself in that kind of situation, Soleil," he said. "Had I pursued you after you turned me down, I would have been the kind of man that most women detested. And most of all, I don't want my feelings to scare you."

Ah, that was nice to hear.

"Although I have to say that during the three years that I spent with you, my feelings may have turned me into a monster," he confessed softly. "I have become greedy for you, Soleil. I no longer want a life without you in it. Thus, I left Auro and the kingdom to come here and beg for your love." He paused for a while to sip tea, then he continued. "Will you give me a chance this time?"

To be honest, she didn't have to think twice.

In the past, she decided to remain "friends" with Kalel because of the first prophecy. But now that she knew that she had to marry him and conceive the Moon Serpent with him for the sake of the world, she didn't want to escape her fate anymore.

Because just like Kalel, her feelings for him also grew for the past three years.

"I don't want to live here once we get married," she said, obviously surprising Kalel. "I love my clan but they can be so overprotective most of the time. Thus, for that reason, I don't want them to be involved in our marriage in any way."

But that was only a part of the reason why she didn't want to stay in Solarium when they get married in the future.

She knew that Kalel was still a threat to her clan. Thus, she wanted him to stay from the Fire Mages as far away as possible. But that wasn't the end of it. She wanted a different place to call home to separate Kalel from Auro Moonchester as well.

I can't straight up tell Lord Kalel that Auro Moonchester is planning sinister things behind him. I have to gain his trust first. And I can only do that once we're separated from his brother.

"I can't return to Kale Kingdom because my existence threatens Auro's reign," he said after a few seconds of silence. "Although I already expressed my lack of interest in the throne, the people who want to oppose my brother still keep on bothering me."

"Then, where shall we live after our marriage?"

As the heiress of the Rosenberg clan, she had several territories under her name. But as she said, she didn't want to live in a place where her clan could easily go to. Knowing them, they would probably "visit" as often as they wanted.

"I'm still a royal prince, Soleil," he reminded her. "Although King Aleo was a horrible father, he still secured a territory in my name as a part of his deal with the Moon God."

"Oh, you have a territory?" she asked curiously. "Where is it?"

"In the northern region of Kale Kingdom."

She blinked in surprise, then she gasped. "Isn't it the land that always snows?" She clicked her tongue. "Lord Kalel, the late king scammed you! He purposely gave you a vast yet wasteful land as a territory. I know that it's bad to bad mouth a bad person but I'm still going to say it: Aleo Moonchester deserved his gruesome death."

Kalel looked at her in surprise, then he laughed. "I like it when the usually nice and polite Soleil turns bad," he said, then he gently patted her head. "Don't worry, Soleil. The North is an inhabitable land. I've been there so I know. The snow only acts as a barrier. But once you get inside, it isn't as cold as it looks like from the outside. The late king didn't know that because he didn't bother to inspect the land thoroughly."

"Oh," she said. She decided to forget about the late king's evilness because it didn't matter anymore. "So, we're going to live in the North after we get married?"

"Only if it's fine with you," he said worriedly. "Although the cold is bearable even for average humans, it might still be uncomfortable for a Fire Mage like you, Soleil."

"Don't worry about me, Lord Kalel," she assured him. "I can survive it. My body is naturally warm so I don't get cold."

He smiled as if he was relieved, then he blinked in surprise. "Soleil, does it mean you agree to marry me?"

She chuckled and was about to tease him about how 'slow' he could be sometimes when all of a sudden, a strong ball of energy came out of his chest– pulling Kalal away from her.

"Lord Kalel!"

Worried about him when she saw him hit a tree and fall on the snow-covered ground, she stood up to help him. But all of a sudden, she found herself unable to move. The next thing she knew, a gigantic white snake was already wrapped around her body.

The white snake was trying to break her body by constriction, and it was hissing angrily at her face.

"You will not marry my Nystrom, you wench!" Yumi, the White Snake, hissed at her. "I will not give you my son!"

"Mother!" Kalel yelled angrily when he saw his mother about to bite her. "Don't hurt Soleil!"

Her future husband didn't have to worry about her though.

She protected herself by literally summoning her Black Flame to burn Yumi. Yes, she used the Black Flame even though it was bad for her body. But if she wanted to seriously hurt a minor god like the White Snake, she had to use her own power.

And it worked.

Yumi, almost burned to death, fell on the ground. Hah, she looked like a charcoal snake now instead of a white one. Most of her scales had also melted from the heat of her Black Flame.

"Dear future mother-in-law, I am not the same meek girl that you met three years ago," Soleil said coldly, then she turned to Kalel who stood in shock after he saw her roast his mother alive. It saddened her that she couldn't get along well with her mother-in-law, but she had duties to fulfill. "Kalel, I will only accept your marriage proposal if you promise that your mother won't live with us. I know that she's your spirit guardian. But I know that there's a way to separate her from you." When Yumi hissed as if it was about to attack her despite her serious injuries, she stepped on the White Snake mercilessly. "I'm sorry but I need to make you choose between me and your mother."

Kalel looked at Yumi with a sad look on his eyes, then his jaw clenched when he looked at her face. "Let's get married, Soleil."

***

"WHY DID you let the Black Serpent leave to marry my Soleil?!"

Auro Moonchester, seated on the windowsill of his room while watching Elis Ripperton literally bring a storm there, sighed. "Why are you venting out on me, Lord Ripperton? It was Lord Kyro who decided to let his son marry the Supreme Fire Mage. If you're mad about it, then go and complain to the Moon God."

"As if I could do that," Elis Ripperton, who seemed to be tired after turning his room upside-down, plopped on the sofa facing him. "Lord Kyro is in a bad mood because apparently, he had a fight with Lady Yumi after she found out that the Black Serpent left. The White Snake left a while ago to follow his son, so the Moon God is sulking in the shrine."

He chuckled at that.

Kyro and Yumi had a weird yet strong relationship. It was normal for gods to have several wives. But the Moon God had remained faithful to the White Snake all these years. Some people may call it love. But he didn't know what love was so he couldn't be so sure about that.

"Just endure it for a bit, Lord Ripperton," Auro said, then he turned outside to look at the full moon. "We only need Soleil Rosenberg to get pregnant because apparently, female Fire Mages are the weakest when they have a child in their womb. Once she's in her most vulnerable state, we will steal her heart." He turned to the Blue Dragon with a raised brow. "I don't know if you still want Soleil Rosenberg after she gets pregnant with another man's child though."

"I don't care about that. Soleil will always remain pure in my heart," Elis Ripperton said. "But make sure to kill the child because I would loathe a mini version of the Black Serpent, Auro Moonchester."

***

"LET LADY Soleil marry the Black Serpent, Lord Winchell."

Winchell heard Solenn and he would usually listen to his granddaughter. But this time, since the topic was related to his precious little sister, he wouldn't be easily convinced. "It's not that I'm just being overprotective," he said. "But the Moonchesters are enemies. I won't let my sister marry a guy from that family."

Right now, he was in the prayer room dedicated to him– the Red Phoenix.

They used that room because only he and Solenn, the Sun Priestess, were allowed to step inside. Not even Soleil was allowed there.

"I'm aware of that, my lord," the Sun Priestess said. "But we need the Moon Serpent on our side. Only Lady Soleil and Black Serpent can conceive him."

He clicked his tongue because if she put it that way, he couldn't refute her anymore.

After all, he knew the importance of the Moon Serpent if they wanted to win the divine war among the main gods. He didn't want to admit this but the sudden disappearance of the Sun God did a number on their side. The Sky God was also trapped in the Plane so he couldn't directly give them a hand.

Thus, they needed to summon the Moon Serpent.

"Lord Winchell, we only need Kalel Moonchester because of the Moon Serpent," Solenn reminded her, her eyes gleaming in the dark. "But once the Moon Seprent is born, regardless of Lady Soleil's feelings, the Black Serpent would no longer have any use to us."

Winchell fell silent for a while, then he laughed when he realized what the Sun Priestess meant by her words. "Yes, we can get rid of Kalel Moonchester after he fulfills his role."

***

NOTE: I don't know what else to say but sorry. I'm really sorry for suddenly taking a hiatus here without telling you in advance. My brain suddenly stopped working for Mommy Villainess just when we're at the final arc.

But my brain is working properly again.

I'm back.

And I'm here to finish the story now.

I hope you forgive me for the sudden break. I didn't mean to make you feel abandoned. I'm really sorry. :

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PS: You may send gifts if you can. Thank you~

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