The Becoming of Lune

Chapter Twenty

The coronation was the same as every one Cerast had ever been to; boring.

Bandian, for as thick as Cerast thought he was, had told Valen he used magic to make him and Annora seem older than they appeared in truth. How Bandian had discovered how to use magic was beyond Cerast, but likely it was Annora who taught him.

The plan was for Bandian to return as Ellvan's son when the time came. Then Prinna would be queen and Ellvan would be her son, so on and so forth for as many years it took for the humans to notice the scheme.

It was an intelligent concept, but Cerast could not imagine being a ruler for as long as they would be.

With the crown and royal sword passed to Ellvan, Bandian off conversing with lords, and Valen doing whatever he was doing in the castle, Cerast found himself sitting across from Annora during an elaborate feast.

"I must admit, I am surprised you have stayed for as long as you have, Cerast."

Annora seemed kind for all he had heard her speak, and the irrepressible beauty of her led Cerast to understand why Bandian had fallen in love with her.

"As am I. Though with Bandian away, I believe I am safe to enjoy a meal before I leave." Cerast shrugged lightly and bit into the skewered meat he had stabbed onto his fork.

It was not often Cerast ate meat, but he found it pleasing the times he did. Killuen would be upset if Cerast ever bought something from the butcher, as the god was entirely against holding animals captive just to murder them later.

"I had always heard that you were a selfish god and had cast aside Bandian after promising him support. I am glad that you two have reached a peace despite your charges telling you not to." Annora smiled softly, a hidden thing beneath the wafts of hair covering her eyes.

"It is tenuous, but I would rather hate him due to the moon than hate him for something I agree with. I had truly thought the gods would help him, at the very least Alastana. I regret not asking her the last time we spoke."

Leaving Bandian after their becoming was an easy thing to do, but the decision was made with the assurance someone more in tune with being a god would help Bandian. Cerast did feel remorse in that, even for all he did not like about the god.

"The only reason I came to see Bandian was due to my summers becoming hotter. The sun was causing droughts and rain was almost nonexistent, so I came here."

Cerast did remember those summers, waking to find his plants needed watering almost every night and the effects of a warm day making the nights too heated to stand at times. He had always thought Bandian had planned it.

Where Cerast was a friend to the moon, Bandian was required to tame the sun.

The sun was unyielding and would burn away villages if left unchecked. Though, with Bandian there, he would be the one to convince the sun to hide beneath clouds and burn hotter when needed.

After all, sometimes droughts were needed in order to adapt. Sometimes animals needed culling and rivers need to change course.

To know it was an accidental drought and that it was not intended made Cerast inwardly wince. A rough patch for Bandian then.

"So, Valen is attempting to insert himself into the gods lives?" Annora questioned, her smile having dropped at her own words.

"Valen has realized that he would like to know the gods he created. With Ellvana and Jysp being gone and mine and Bandians becoming, Valen feels his absence is unnecessary."

"His absence was never felt in the first place and I told him as such. I was created almost three hundred years ago and I still only think of him as the king who created me." Annora's face hardened, blue eyes locking onto Cerast's with a silent challenge.