Perhaps the relaxed conversation made her relieve her tense nerves, Elena suddenly raised a question that she shouldn't have asked.
She only learned about this shortly after entering the border.
Xerxes's wife, also his sister, died a year ago.
The King of Kings was hesitant at first because he had not talked about his sister and wife to others for a long time, but he still talked to Elena about the smartest and most beautiful woman he had met in this world.
Her name is Stadera, the eldest princess of the Kingdom of Achaemenids, and the person who raised and educated Xerxes after being adopted by the old king.
She is not only a sister to him, but also a foster mother.
When many people in the palace were afraid of him as a "monster", Stadella was always with him. The two of them often discussed the sky and earth, people and things with the stars.
Stadella is not only a princess, but also a well-read sage. Her understanding of this world is far more profound than that of most people. She even knew from some ancient classics that humans did not appear in this world naturally, but came from the sky. At that time, their race experienced a disaster called the Long Night.
In the sixth year after Xerxes's arrival, under the auspices of the old king, he and his nominal sister Stadella signed a holy marriage, which also represented the old king's formal use of him as the successor of the kingdom.
As a superman, Xerxes' marriage with Stadella is completely spiritual, but when he talks about that marriage, he still notices that his face is lit up by golden memories.
He must love her very much, right?
Elena thought to herself.
"......... After my adoptive father passed away, she helped me a lot, especially my brothers launched a rebellion during my expedition. She was the only one who presided over the court and used the small number of troops I left to suppress the rebels."
"I heard about this, she... is such a great woman."
"Yes, but she is a mortal after all."
With deep regret, Xerxes told the truth.
In the twelfth year after their marriage, Stadella began to develop physical condition, with the earliest signs being severe migraines, unexplained fainting and short-term amnesia.
After the doctor diagnosed, he prescribed painkillers and told him to rest in bed, but none of them relieved her symptoms. Xerxes found the best doctors in the kingdoms to treat them, and finally found that Stadella suffered from an extremely aggressive blood disease, a fatal disease that was circulating among many nobles in the kingdom.
When Elena heard this, she was shocked because she knew about this disease, and even her brothers and sisters died of this disease.
There is a strange thing about this disease, which is that it basically only appears in the royal families of kings and noble families.
"Hyphotoxicosis!"
"...Yes, this is actually a genetic disease, the consequence of long-term inbreeding inbreeding in the kingdoms."
The doctors tried all the known methods, but Stadella's condition was still difficult to deal with.
Xerxes saw his wife fading away but was helpless. He hated this sense of despair, so he took a detour and began to find various strange treatments for her, no matter how unlikely it would be.
No chance is better than nothing.
He used a lot of knowledge in his brain to create many instruments. After trying it ineffectively, he carried out all-round herbal treatments, and even tried qigong, acupuncture, and respiratory control methods, but none of them worked.
But Xerxes refused to give up, and his research led him to the distant corner of knowledge, discovering various forces beyond human imagination.
Even went deep into some mysterious corners in the myths of the kingdoms to explore the dangerous ancient ruins
But this doesn't matter, because he will use all means to save his wife.
At that time, she also begged him to stop, but he ignored it.
Stadella has accepted the imminent death, but Xerxes cannot.
In the end, all his plans were interrupted by Lydia's invasion, and under the pressure of the troops, he had to fight.
"......... At that time, she was standing on the platform of the Emerald Palace and watching me step onto the battlefield."
Xerxes said, with regret on his face expressing his words.
"When I returned to the battle, Stadella had passed away, and I still didn't see her for the last time."
Elena lowered her head, and she felt like she should say something.
But I don't know what to say.
At this time, she made the second mistake today.
“……Why did you choose me?”
When she realized that she was inappropriate, the words had already come out.
Xerxes smiled and responded:
“Because of peace.”
"Peace?"
"Although I defeated the Lydia Empire, it will take some time to completely conquer it, but the countries in the west have shown a certain degree of fear to me... let's say that, and your father is the leader of the countries in the west. This wedding can comfort them, at least they will not create obstacles to my unified cause in the future."
Although he was somewhat prepared, after realizing that this was a complete political marriage, Elena was still disappointed.
But this is also the fate of a royal princess like her. There is nothing to complain about. Love is always a luxury.
What's more, before her, there was a woman who had such a profound influence on him
——————
The wedding was held as scheduled, very grand and very lively.
It is said that this wedding cost hundreds of thousands of flowers alone. Residents of the entire capital held torches to bless their emperor and new queens. Representatives from dozens of countries and tribes gathered at the wedding.
Elena walked through many places in a heavy wedding outfit accompanied by her maid, and it was not until this moment that she realized what Xerxes said to her was true.
The wedding is really tiring!
In the palace, she needed to stand for nearly an hour, perform a long ceremony of enthronement and receive blessings from many envoys, nobles, and representatives.
In the square, she needed to throw gold coins and flowers to the people on both sides of the road.
In the temple, the high priest first circled her head with the holy fire, and then she wanted to add wood to the holy fire with his husband, and listened to the long and sleepy blessings of the priests.
Then, she also needs to pay homage to the gods and present her own tribute.
Finally, under the gaze of the magnificent statue of Ahura Mazda, she and Xerxes cut their arms, dripped into the wine, and drank each other's blood to show their loyalty to each other.
But she noticed that Xerxes' wound healed in just a blink of an eye.
At the last step of the wedding, Xerxes pulled out the scimitar from his waist, held a golden horseshoe in his other hand, knelt down on one knee, and said solemnly to Elena:
"You are my wife, and I will protect everything about you with my knife and horse, and protect our family until the end of my life."
Elena was holding a jujube branch in her hand. This plant that represents breeding and life responded softly:
"You are my husband, and I will raise your descendants with my hands and protect our family until the end of my life."
Then, the two kissed each other and became husband and wife.
———————
She looked at the dark cave, the son of the former emperor who was full of mystery and strangeness, and made a hoarse voice that was awakened for the first time in ten thousand years.
"What do you want to do, Saul Tavez."
Thor sighed and fiddled with his fingers the gradually dimming bonfire in front of him.
"I don't want to do anything, our purpose is the same, find that lost battleship, you were her captain, so I hope to work together next."
"Your purpose is not simple, there are those hiding in the dark, I don't trust you."
"Madam, at least we are all on the side of the empire, aren't we?"
The half-robot's body stiffened for a moment, then his shoulders loosened.
"I see."
"Thank you very much, so let's go."
As he said that, Thor reached out to extinguish the flames, but suddenly he stopped again, turned his face to look at the half-robot whose shell was shining by the fire, and said softly:
"Madam Elena, let me say something more, let me put it down and let it go...Abaddon once again saw his most faithful and loved father, Horus, who died by cloning technology, but he killed the other person with his own hands, because he knew that no matter how he used, the resurrected person was no longer the person he knew."
The other party was still motionless. Thor shook his head and reached out to extinguish the flames.