no sentimental ending

...she blinks, shakes her head to clear her vision. If this is heaven then why is everything so dark? Maybe this is the other option, which means that this guy is...

"Hava, no. You're very much alive, and we -" the godlike man with the bell-like voice gestures towards other, equally beautiful beings - "are your friends and family.
"I'm your brother, Gabe. I'll let the others introduce themselves in their own time. Don't try to speak, I can explain everything. But first I must tell you a story."

Hava is slightly hypnotised by his voice - and stunned by his words. She couldn't have uttered a word if she wanted to. A brother?

Gabe moves to sit by Hava, taking her hand.

"I'm not one for sentimental endings. Not this time. Sentiment is a luxury we cannot afford while the future of the realm and our way of life is at stake. Listen carefully Hava, this is about you too.

"First, you will have heard of the myths of earth which involve marriages between humans and divine creatures. Many of them told of ruling families falling in love with water spirits - mermaids, if you like.

"A modern version retells the Christ-Magdelene story, with the 'water' changed into blood. It involves a royal line nonethess and names the Merovingian family as descendants of this union.

"In truth the Merovingian legend involves a Mer-maid - yes I can see that you make the connection between the word 'mermaid' and the name 'Mary'. You're right, they mean the same thing, more or less - 'of the sea' - and the two stories are related, although not as you might think.

"The history of the Merovingian line is a case in point though - their power came from their divine roots, but they died out when they forgot what was owed in return. In a bizarre irony it was the Christian influence which turned those kings away from soul.

"I say 'soul' because that is precisely what earthly magic is - the soul of the world. Each divine creature embodies part of the world soul, and in humans its the female who is guardian of Her.

"We don't have time to go into gender politics right now, but suffice to say that Earth has been in trouble for some time due to the imbalance - and so has our realm - Eloah - which exists in parallel.

"But before all this trouble started there were other troubles - some of these are written in the old texts of earth, the sacred texts that hardly anyone can understand anymore. There is a common thread through all of these, however much they are misinterpreted and distorted.

"All the stories involve an exceptional female who is paired with a ruler of some sort and gives birth 'without stain' to a royal or divine heir. Or two. All the way back to the first woman.

"The first woman, Hava."

Gabe pauses, sighs, and carefully places Hava's hand to rest on her other one. She's drifting off to sleep, the journey taking its toll. The story will have to wait a little longer.

What is one more day after a thousand years?