Art by CtheTtheG

You now see how foolish this person is. There is another aspect of this idiocy that I will speak of later. But I believe I have introduced her enough for the sake of this essay.

❂❂❂

The next day, Angella sat at her desk, filing petitions from Delvala as she waited for Micah to arrive. He'd sent a messenger to her room at a simply ungodly hour of the night to inform her that a strange person had been sighted at the Seraphite tunnel. Why it couldn't wait until morning, Angella wasn't sure, but Micah didn't sleep at normal hours. Or do anything the same way the royal court did.

It figured he would be late to his own meeting, she thought with a smile. This was the same man whom she had met – after four years of absence – submerged in a fountain, trying to fish wishing-well coins in order to buy lunch. She'd only later realized he was the same Micah who had apprenticed under Emeth Light Spinner.

And I'll be marrying him, she thought, stamping another petition. It had taken her a while to accept her love for him, considering he'd proposed to her when he was eighteen after only knowing her as a close friend. She was immortal; he was young. How strange, and yet right, such a thing felt to her.

Abruptly, Micah teleported into the room at just the right place to kiss her. She pressed her lips against his, cradling his bearded cheek in her hand and enjoying the gentleness of his mouth. Yes, he was so sweet, with his tender eyes and innocent nature...

Micah finally pulled away. "Morning, Angie."

"Good morning, my dear," she said gently. "What was it you wanted to say to me about the tunnel?"

Micah snapped his fingers. "Right. There was a Horde commander near it."

Angella's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"Relax," he said. "I wanted to get your help to secure it. You know more about the Seraphites than anyone on Etheria."

Angella sighed. That, I do. "Very well," she said. "Are you hurt? I don't like the idea of you being out so late."

Micah shook his head. "Just got a few mild scratches," he said, holding up bandaged hands. "Nell fixed me right up. So, are we going?"

Angella rose; she preferred the more administrative duties of Rebellion leadership, but she needed a break from reading Delvalian. "Tell me about the commander on the way," she said, taking Micah's hand and teleporting them both into the woods with the Moonstone's power.

They exited into the Whispering Woods, and as they walked, Micah kept holding her hand. He was handsome in a rugged way, his limbs muscular from his practice with sorcery and battle training. He wasn't the first man Angella had found attractive, but the first one she would be willing to wholly give herself to.

Micah spoke as they wandered through the woods; she trusted he knew where he was going, but it was difficult to tell with him sometimes. "This Horde commander...she uses dark magic."

That's what that cold chill was, Angella thought. "I felt her last night," she said softly. "We need to find out what she wants. She herself can't navigate the labyrinth at the end of the tunnel since she's a Fulminate, but she can send underlings that aren't."

Micah nodded. "What happens if she gets trapped inside?"

"Insanity, most likely," Angella said. "Seraphite structures don't like Fulminates, and the tunnel of which you speak was built by Transcendence's keeper."

Micah frowned. The elusive angel hadn't been seen in well over a thousand years, but Angella knew she wasn't gone. Her parents had said they could feel her, carrying the sphere of knowledge across space and time.

They arrived at the tunnel; Angella took a look at the moss. Strange. "I'll teleport us in," she offered, performing another transport.

They entered the tunnel, and Angella provided light with the Moonstone's power. Such magic at her fingertips was unbelievable, and she'd had full-fledged power ever since her parents had died in the Obtainment War.

"Hey," Micah said, pointing to a mural on the wall. "What's this?"

Angella directed her light to the stone. "The seven manifestations of Amenity," she replied.

"Is one of them missing?" Micah asked, pointing to the empty hands where Levity should have been. Angella hadn't told him yet; she'd been too afraid.

"Yes," she murmured. "I am supposed to carry Levity. Hope. But I don't have it."

"Why not?" Micah asked.

"My parents died in the Obtainment War," Angella said. "They didn't tell me where to find Levity. There's supposed to be a shrine somewhere on Etheria – a site for its power to coalesce. But moons, Micah...we've searched far and wide for it. It's not here."

"Are you sure? It could be somewhere we haven't colonized yet. How can a part of God be lost, anyway?"

Angella sighed. "Her power returns to the shrine of Levity whenever the guardian dies. I'm next in line to hold it, but..." she shook her head. "As long as Levity doesn't have an angel, the universe isn't set right."

Micah frowned – religion was hard for him to understand; he was a concrete man, someone who thought in more tactile terms. After a moment, her fiancé responded. "I wonder why Shadow Weaver was here." He sighed. "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this. What happens if she tries to take the power of Levity for herself?"

Angella shook her head. "You can't. Only a steward can hold the power of Hope itself, and they must give it up to the appropriate angel. My steward...he died in the Obtainment War as well. The king of Arxia."

"Why can't the angel just take the power themselves?"

"Because taking power for yourself is selfish. Particularly the power of God Herself." She ran her hand along the wall. "I doubt she's looking for such power, Micah. Fulminates are not attracted to the power of Amenity, and it would be a difficult task for her to reach the shrine, wherever that may be. But there are many entry and exit points for these tunnels. That's likely why she wants to use them — for soldiers."

Micah nodded. "Then we have to ensure that she can't get to them," he said. "Should we post guards here?"

"I think that would be wise," Angella said, a weight having been lifted off her chest. She kept the rest of the information back; the Seraphites had hidden a clue to where the shrine of Levity was within these very tunnels. In fact, they had built a labyrinth to test the purity of the steward.

The only problem was that Angella didn't want to admit her failure. For the sake of the Seraphite followers, she couldn't show everyone what a coward she truly was.

❂❂❂

Did you know...

- I added Seraphism to the Alura trilogy pretty late in the writing process on Alura. This was an intentional addition to enrich Angella's and Shadow Weaver's characters, and will be very important later on.

- I think Micah is a Seraphite, but he's also a pretty casual one.

Tell me what you think...

- If you've seen She-Ra, what was your first impression of Queen Angella? If you haven't, what was your first impression when you met her in Alura?