The Archangel's Search

"Oh for shame... the blame on us gods, for they say evils come from us" - Zeus

Seraphina

“So he just turned to another woman?” asked Alex, her friend, who played with his curly blonde hair in confusion. “None other than the ‘pious’ and ‘righteous’ cherub who snubbed at all things new and half-god?”

Seraphina nodded painfully as she wrapped her arms around her legs aiming to curl up in a ball and just disappear from existence. After she left the palace, Seraphina needed a place where she could just breathe. Her office was too stuffy and it was quite close to Michael’s own. The last thing she wanted was to be within hearing-range of Michael and his new lady- friend, Melody.

Instead, she flew off to meet her friend and returning captain Alex and his own battalion. They embraced her with open arms and pride shown in their eyes as their commander personally came to greet them home. But Alex had known Seraphina long enough to know that pain lingered behind the smiles that she offered to his soldiers.

So when he confronted her, as expected, the smiles melted away and were replaced with sadness and despair. She confessed her passionate night with Michael to him and her amazement at Michael’s love confession but then the sight of him with Melody took it away.

The sun was beginning to set and Seraphina knew that her men had to return to the Gloria before nightfall, where they would have the protection of her army in case of an ambush. Though Alex reassured her that they were not followed, Seraphina didn’t like to be vulnerable for an attack. As Alex and his men started to pack up their camp, Seraphina sent a soldier to the Gloria to inform the city of the soldiers’ return.

Finally, they were off, flying a sedate speed as Seraphina was aiming to reach the Gloria after the Sunday feast, where the angels gathered for the communal supper. No doubt, speculations were building about her absence, which Melody was happy to spread. It was already too late, in Seraphina’s mind, to fix her relationship with Michael and she, for one thing, had her pride. She was not going to wither at his feet nor be the pitied wife of an archangel.

She was a goddess and an archangel!

And no goddess, that’s right I’ll admit it, Seraphina thought to herself, was going to disgrace herself in front of a cherub by being weak.

“You seem determined”, Alex observed with a smirk. “I’m going to assume that you are not going to at least try to aim to please Michael and belittle yourself by acting meek and amiable. It would be wise to behave as an archangel’s wife should be. You know…submissive, conservative and sickly pious.”

“I am not Melody”, Seraphina grinded back.

“No…you are a goddess and an archangel”, Alex encouraged with a lingering smile that annoyed Seraphina exceedingly.

“Yes”

“You are our leader and commander and you do not bow or please anyone”, he added with robust and energy.

“Absolutely”

“Then maybe we should fly faster”, Alex said. “I want to make it in time for the feast.”

“No”

Alex sighed heavily and said honestly, “I’ve seen you cater for these angels, trying to hide your true self. It is not the way of things. It is a gift that you are different and if you extinguish your gifts and your true self then you are living a lie.”

The he sighed deeper and spoke wisely, “If God wanted you destroyed, he would’ve done it ages ago. In fact, all half-gods would’ve been murdered as children but here you are before me. Not only that, you are leading his army and married to the leader of all angels, Archangel Michael.”