It was raining in Jerusalem again. Damp and cold.
The white roses in the courtyard had bloomed, kissed by the rain, their petals drifting gently to the ground. The rain made the whole world seem as though it had returned to the hour before dawn, and from the forest came the sighing calls of sacred birds. Along the riverbanks, rows of towering trees stood tall like ancient giants, lush and dripping, stretching all the way to the dreamlike Eden. And at the very center of Eden stood the Tree of Life—verdant and proud, its branches thick and tangled, piercing the clouds, radiating a soul-like brilliance in the rain. The wind brushed softly past, rustling the leaves, and the Tree of Life began to play a music only the divine could hear, a celestial melody for Jerusalem, and for the entire divine race.
I was curled up in my mother’s arms, staring at the many familiar yet unfamiliar faces around me. My parents were speaking with them, and I slipped in and out of sleep.
“Your Highness Reynor, little Michael really doesn’t look like you two; he looks more like me, aha.”
“You’re disgusting. How dare you say that such a beautiful child looks like you?”
“Lady Gabriel, I think Lord Metatron only says such things because he likes the child very much.”
“Hah! We all know whose side you’re on. But he’s obsessed with Evangeline now, you should give up.”
After a pause, my father’s voice sounded not far away: “Gabriel, look what you’ve done. You’ve made Raphael embarrassed.”
There was another stretch of silence, and then both Gabriel and Metatron burst out laughing, and laughed so hard they nearly choked. Only when they had laughed themselves breathless did another lively voice appear from the doorway:
“Your Highness Gabriel, I could hear your laughter from far away. Amazing as always!”
More silence. Then my father said, “Now it’s Gabriel’s turn to be embarrassed. Sariel, come in and have a seat.”
That lively voice appeared at my side: “Wow, how adorable. I’ve never seen such a cute little angel. I heard from Samael that Lord Ruthfel has already given him a nickname…”
Raphael murmured softly, “He’s called Lord Lucifer now.”
“Oh right, Lord Lucifer,” Sariel scratched his head, “He picked a beautiful name. It’s, uh, it’s…”
“It’s Isar,” said another voice from the doorway, tinged with sarcasm. “Sariel, your brain still hasn’t improved after all these years. His Highness Lucifer will be here any minute. Stop embarrassing him.”
I opened my eyes and saw the two angels before me. One had large golden pupils, eyes curved and slanted at the corners, beaming with joy. The other had narrow eyes, a lean face, and wore two small ram-horn earrings. He raised an eyebrow at me. I didn’t know why, but I found the golden-eyed Sariel incredibly cute. So when he reached out and gently pinched my cheek, I grabbed his fingers tight and giggled.
“He grabbed me!” Sariel was even more excited than I was, turning to my mother. “Lady Alice, he grabbed me! And look, he’s laughing! His eyes are so big and bright!”
“Enough of that,” said the other angel, the one with the serpent tattooed across his face. “Lord Lucifer is here.”
The room fell silent at once. Those gathered around me stepped aside to make way.
When I heard that name, I sat up straight, craning my neck to look toward the doorway.
A six-winged archangel was walking toward me. Everyone who spoke to him did so with the utmost care. But I could only raise my tiny, almost invisible hand into the air, waving it with all my might, trying to prove that I existed.
Mother said, “Your Highness, Reynor and I placed a bet on whether he would say ‘Papa’ or ‘Mama’ first. Turns out…”
I stared at the man before me, and in my soft, babyish voice, called out:
“Lulu.”
He had stunning golden hair, six radiant Seraphic Wings, and a pair of blue eyes. That pure gold hair outshone even the light of Sancta Faylia; those six luminous wings were said to be the only ones of their kind in all of Heaven; and those eyes—so heartbreakingly blue, so gentle that they made one’s heart break—looked like the skies of home, like the gaze of a fated lover.
In just that one glance, his gaze stole the breath and soul from my body.
It was only the second time we had met, and I already knew: he was the Morning Star of Glory, the Right Wing of God, the most beautiful angel among the divine race of Heaven.
And, the one I love most.
His eyes had been cold at first. But my desperate reaching seemed to soften something in him. He extended his hand and gently grasped my much smaller fist—and smiled.
That smile. I like it so much.
With my other hand, I clung to his long fingers, babbling “Lulu, Lulu” in sticky repetition.
Mother placed me in his arms. The angels around us, especially Sariel, immediately began fussing again:
“Ah! He’s smiling, he’s smiling! His eyes are huge, but when he smiles they squint into long slits… so cute!”
Mother added, “It must be the gloomy weather, he’s been crying all day, completely listless. And now that you’re here, he’s this cheerful… It looks like our son really likes you.”
The angel before me chuckled softly. He raised me slightly, brushing his finger against my cheek.
My babyish giggles filled the room, making everyone laugh. But I didn’t care. All I knew was that this person was smiling because of me.
I looked down at our intertwined hands. This felt like the first time I had truly touched him.
And just thinking that made me so happy—I held on even tighter.
Your Highness Lucifer, I really, really like you. I want to be with you forever.
From this day on, I will never, ever, let go of your hand again.
Author: Tav Tav
Translating
The Right Wing of God, the one seated at the right hand of the Most High.
