Chapter 421: The Forgotten Past - XV

Meanwhile, Vorra stood among the crowd wearing a flawless, sweet smile, playing the role of Hera’s devoted friend. Yet her unwavering gaze remained locked on the bride, burning with silent venom.

She branded the sight into her memory forever, searing in the pain of the day Hera stole the groom who should have been hers.

From that dark night onward, her thirst for her stolen groom festered like a living curse within her soul. It slowly began turning her into an arch demoness who would in the future demand that her followers sacrifice grooms to satisfy her vengeful appetite... a bloody fate that would later claim Cedric as one of her many victims.

A period of peaceful calm settled over the realm following their wedding.

Half a month had passed since the wedding when the full moon finally graced the sky. That night became one of the most passionate nights Hera and Gavriel ever shared, as they finally marked each other as mates, binding their souls together for eternity.

Hera bore Gavriel’s mark on the right side of her neck... an intricate black mark of a sword with a dragon coiled around it.

She noticed instantly how exponentially people’s behavior changed once she bore the devil’s mark.

At first, people had been polite merely on the surface when she married Gavriel. But after seeing the mark, they also grew fearful, knowing that every single emotion their future Queen felt would be experienced by Gavriel as well. And none of them wished to incur the wrath of the future Devil by offending his mate.

Gradually, the months passed, until the beasts began appearing in Tartarus once more. Gavriel was forced to leave the palace from time to time to deal with the disturbances, while Hera immersed herself in her royal duties as Crown Princess.

People eventually grew fond of Hera, naturally drawn to her warm and approachable personality. Nevertheless, they remained mindful of their boundaries, particularly with Ceri almost always by her side in his adorable pup form.

Before Hera’s marriage, Ceri had been recognized as her royal companion. After her marriage, Ceri was granted permission to roam freely throughout the grounds of Rios Palace.

However, Gavriel and Hera had both warned him against attacking anyone within the palace. With a beast of his rank residing among them, not everyone would be pleased by his presence, and any incident could make it difficult for them to protect him from those who wished to see him gone.

Despite this concern, Gavriel was pleased to have Ceri around Hera. The wolf’s unwavering protectiveness offered her an additional layer of security, making it easier for Gavriel to leave whenever his duties demanded it.

Malakov and some of Gavriel’s other brothers visited the couple from time to time, but their visits were normal.

Surprisingly, Malakov never stepped out of line with Hera again, leading her to believe that now that she was married and mated to Gavriel, he had learned to stay in his lane.

Meanwhile, Vorra had stopped visiting Hera after joining the royal army, where she was currently training to earn a place in the core guards. She had promised to visit Hera once the time came for her official rank assignment.

In this peaceful routine, six months of their marriage passed.

But the peace lasted until an urgent message arrived from Queen Lilith, summoning both Gavriel and Hera to Las Noches Palace without delay.

When they arrived at her chambers, they found the ever-graceful queen in a state they had never witnessed before.

Both of their brows furrowed at the sight of Lilith’s disheveled state as she pushed herself off the bed. Without a word, she threw her arms around both of them and began to weep uncontrollably.

Worry gripped both of their hearts instantly.

Gavriel wrapped an arm tightly around his mother’s shaking shoulders before asking, "Mother, what happened?"

Hera placed a gentle hand over Queen Lilith’s back as well, asking softly, "Mother, please tell us what has upset you so much."

Worriedly, they looked up at King Raizel, who appeared just as worn out. He looked at both Hera and Gavriel and sighed softly. "She has been like this ever since she woke up, and she refuses to tell me what happened."

The frown on Gavriel’s face deepened.

He willed himself to pull Lilith back gently, holding her by the shoulders as he searched her face. "Mother, tell me what has distressed you to this level. Talk to me. If someone has done something to upset you, I will deal with them."

Lilith simply shook her head in defeat, her voice trembling. "I can’t..." She looked between Gavriel and Hera before whispering, "M-my lips refuse to speak whenever I try to tell you."

Gavriel stared at her in dead silence for a moment, his crimson eyes widening as realisation struck him. "You had a vision."

Hera’s gaze snapped to Gavriel, her voice laced with confusion. "A vision?"

Raizel answered gently, "Lilith can see glimpses into the future and a person’s past at times. Whenever that happens, she cannot tell us what she sees through a direct answer. She cannot even write it down because fate does not allow her."

"Why is that?" Hera asked softly.

"Because if she is allowed to disclose whatever she sees, it can alter the future, which carries severe repercussions of its own," Gavriel explained.

Hera’s eyes widened in shock before moving back to the distressed Queen, and she whispered, "T-then... what could she have possibly seen to be in this state?"

A heavy silence filled the room before Lilith forced herself to calm down a little.

She then took both Hera’s and Gavriel’s hands in hers and joined them together before speaking. "You two... must look out for one another."

Gavriel and Hera exchanged a quick look before turning back to Lilith as she continued trembling, "Don’t... don’t leave each other’s side. Just stay together."

Gavriel listened to her before asking quietly, "Mother... what you saw... does it concern something terrible happening to us?"

Lilith’s reddened eyes lifted to meet her son’s, and she gave a quiet, hesitant nod.

Dread gripped both Hera’s and Gavriel’s hearts.

They turned toward Raizel, who wore a grim expression as he said, "It would be wise to listen to her advice."

Gavriel released a heavy sigh before turning his attention back to his mother. "Is there any other clue you can give us?"

"It was broken... I couldn’t see everything in the proper order, but everything I did see..." Lilith trailed off, her voice trembling. "J-just please be careful." She broke down once more, tears streaming down her face. "Forgive me... I’m unable to say more..."

Gavriel pulled his mother into his arms while his mind raced as he tried to make sense of her fragmented words and imagine what could have possibly driven her to such despair.

"Calm down, mother," he murmured softly. "We will be careful. I promise."

Lilith simply held onto him tightly while Hera felt a deep sense of foreboding settle inside her.

Following that day, Gavriel made a shocking decision and did something no devil had ever done before.