"What… What do you mean, father?" Raphael looked at his father with a heartbroken expression. "My wife, Rowena, she's gone. That was the River of Death that grants peace to those who no longer want to live."
His Rowena must have suffered so much that she no longer wished to live… not even for him.
Raphael's fists clenched to the sides when he thought about what she went through.
"The River of Death kills and takes away immortality from a god, however, you misunderstand that it actually does not kill them permanently. Rowena's soul will continue to exist and be reborn in a new realm. She will live a mortal life."
"You mean she will be reborn as a human again?" Raphael asked fervently.
"Human. Mermaid. Elf. And many other possible mortal lives are present for those who leave the life of immortality. We do not know where the River of Death will take her until she is reborn," The King of Cretea said.
"I don't understand…" Raphael looked at the king with an expression of confusion filled his face. "When immortals were tired or bored of immortality, they could end their lives by going to the River of Death. What do you mean that it doesn't kill them permanently??"
"Oh, that's the story we always tell everyone," the king smiled. "The truth is, when an immortal enters the River of Death, their immortality is stripped and their soul would be sent to a mortal realm to have one last shot at life. They could be reborn as human, or elf, or mermaid, anything really, but gods."
"Oh…" Raphael was dazed. He didn't know this fact and he was the king's son. He imagined other people might not be as lucky to find out this truth.
How many people from Cretea actually took that decision to end their life only to be reborn as humans in their next life? Were they surprised? Did they still remember their past life as immortals?
Could they survive being reborn as weak creatures? No power, now magic, and no special abilities. How could they live with it?
"They can survive just like how regular humans can," said the King of Cretea as if reading Raphael's mind. "And they won't remember their previous life as an immortal with their great powers. Basically, they would enjoy a short and meaningful life before their soul finally vanished permanently."
"Oh…" Raphael held his breath.
So… if Rowena was reborn, she would no longer become an immortal. She would have one last shot at life… a short one.
Well… if she was reborn an elf, she would have a longer lifespan than humans. Elves could live up to 500 human years. Humans would only live to seventy on average.
Raphael hoped Rowena would be born as an elf… So, he would have more time with her after he found her.
"When will she be born again?" Raphael looked at his father firmly. "Please let me know. You owe me that much after the sufferings you inflicted on her."
"I didn't inflict anything on her and I cannot tell you where and when she will be reborn. The River of Time has its own way of doing things."
"So…" Raphael sighed. "How will I find her?"
"You have your magic and all the time in the world to look for her," the king responded. "You can have that privilege."
Raphael went silent for a long while. The hope he harbored in his heart was now laced with worry. What if he could never find his wife again?
He was a seer too. Perhaps he could hone his skills and use them to help him in finding his wife.
"I understand," Raphael finally nodded.
At this point, he didn't care about anything anymore. As long as he knew he could someday meet her again, he would be happy. He was sure he would find her because he would do whatever it took to see Rowena again. His chest was starting to feel light.
Raphael looked up and see the king solemnly. "Then I can simply find my wife again."
He felt hope renew within him and he relaxed. The anger left his body at the thought of finding his wife once more and it made him relieved to know that they would reunite again.
"Raphael, do not feel relieved too easily," The King of Cretea said. "I do not understand why this wife of yours has chosen to leave you so easily. The test will remain the same."
The Seventh Prince glared at his father. "Must you really go through this ordeal again, Father? I have lost my wife and do not know when I'll see her again but you still insist on your test to prove her love? The very same test that made my wife take her life?"
The King of Cretea's expression did not change and he remained unbristled by his son's own accusations. Instead, the man spoke in a calm and understanding voice and eventually his gaze softened fatherly.
He understood why his son was upset.
However, if this Rowena didn't even accept his son when he cast the spell over her eyes and even ran away in the face of being with his son as mere mortals, it made the King of Cretea worried.
Even in all of his wisdom, the king was still a father and he chose to view Rowena's actions through the lens of careful discrimination and even pessimism. It was in order to protect his son whose love for his wife was unconditional.
Did Rowena choose to leave Raphael because the two of them were going to be banished from Cretea? Rowena must have known that she could leave Cretea from the River of Death.
Even the King of Cretea could not easily trace or track down where Rowena's would end up. So, that was the perfect way to escape further punishment. It was a cunning decision and far better than simply returning to her homeland.
However, the effects of her presence were still felt and it did not sit well with the king of the gods. The King of Cretea saw his own son turn against him and that hurt him to see. It truly proved how much influence the woman had over Raphael.
Thus the need for prudence and even admonishment.
