Foreword: The following is a loosely-adapted, Period Drama AU piece. Another ambitious project formed over the years, pulling the majority of its inspiration from shows such as The Tudors and The Borgias.

While this has its roots as an Angel Sanctuary gone period drama amalgamation, Italian Renaissance/English Reformation AU, this piece (and the AU as a whole) features Nemaelle Mudou, OC for my Chronicles of the Fallen series. It also features Azreal, OC for Coming of the Seraph, a series written by HaloRecoil, and Zephyrel, OC for Eve of the Earth, a series written by Jael Randell (who long-time members of the readership likely know as the cowriter for CotF's second installment, Layers).

As I go about the process of finally sharing my AU work, I find myself going back and forth as to how much time I should spend explaining correlations and sources. How much can I just expect the readership to either connect or accept? I'm not sure what the answer is, especially for this AU, which is supplanting AS locations with real-world locations, and not in a way that might be construed as… entirely organic or coherent? So, in lieu of my being unsure, I'm going to attempt at briefly indicating correlations below:

Heaven – Based on Tudor-era England, Wales, Scotland. King YHWH is the ruler of Heaven, with two sons, Princes Lucifel and Michael. It is important to note that King YHWH does not equal God. They are not one in the same. Lady Azrael is a native citizen of Heaven and a frequent attendant of Heaven's court, along with her family.

Hell – Does not exist. Yet.

Atziluth – Based on Rome during the Renaissance. Obviously Atziluth is supposed to be part of Heaven; I've deviated away from that, but Atziluth is by and large considered the center of the Old Faith, and is the home of the Papacy, abbeys run by similarly devout nuns, visitors on pilgrimage... and also many destitute beggars and orphans.

Etemenanki – Based on the Vatican, and the private palaces and apartments of the Holy See during the Renaissance. While Atziluth has become much more accessible for this AU, Etemenanki is highly exclusive (though more accessible than it was in AS). Only the Papacy and those specifically invited by members of the Papacy may enter and stay.

Hades – Based very loosely on Renaissance-era Naples. It is important to note that I took a lot of liberties here, portraying it with a more lax attitude toward religion and not much involvement with the Old Faith. It also, thanks to King Uriel, will have some decidedly Arabic and Ottoman influence scattered here and there, as he is consort to Queen Zephyrel, come from beyond the Mediterranean Sea. Lady Nemaelle, while not a native of Hades, is serving as part of the Queen's household.

Assiah – While not likely to have a huge presence in this AU, it roughly corresponds to the Germanic and Nordic areas of Europe; the area of Europe in which Protestantism was born and where it spread with much success in the 16th century. Lady Nemaelle was born here, but sent far south to Hades to serve as part of Queen Zephyrel's household.

The Old Faith – Based heavily on Catholicism, it (until recently in the AU) has been the chief religious practice of the majority of the countries noted in this AU.

The New Faith – Based loosely on a blurry mix of several things: the rise of Protestantism, humanist principles and skeptical philosophy. It wouldn't exactly be fair to call the New Faith its own separate thing, as especially within the context of the AU, it's much younger than the Old Faith and is still evolving, so not everyone agrees on what it is. In short, the New Faith springs up from the birthing of empirical thought, in asking questions and seeking answers independently instead of through the clergy.

Well, here's hoping I never have to write a foreword as long as this, ever again… XD

Crowns and Crosses
The Sun to a Drab and Dreary Moon
By: Brenli

Would anyone hold it against her, if she found herself daydreaming during these masquerades and dances?

It wasn't that the parties were boring. Never would the Kingdom of Heaven go lightly in their celebrations, no matter what they might have been for. But she was a Lady, after all, and had found herself often invited to court by way of her family. Strange, how the King seemed to think so highly of her parents, and yet she had never met him, herself.

She heard say that there were very few of Heaven's court who had ever seen him, however. Yet he was ever present, overseeing these lavish festivities and all the beautiful courtiers and nobles in their finery. Long cloaks and full skirts, all in satin and velvet, always embroidered, swept across polished wooden floors. Meats and fruits and the finest of wines – said to come from quite near Etemenanki itself – constantly replenished... She thought it odd that the good King never seemed to partake in any of it, himself.

Perhaps he was a watcher... In many ways, she felt the same. Of course, she dined and danced with the best of them, but always she felt... removed. A self-imposed removal in which she would rather read others than fall into any courtly tricks. Even when she found her palm touching the palm of Prince Michael, the younger, fiery-haired son of the King, she kept her smile simple and full of grace. "My Lord," she greeted him, as was to be expected.

"Milady," was his response, and it was every bit as simple and graceful as hers had been. He said nothing more, after that... but the years at court had taught her that was his way. He was similarly... removed. Self-contained, though he seemed to be barring lions within himself, rather than simply watching. There was a reason that those who spoke with him were quite careful with their words, more so than any Prince would demand.

"Lady Azrael," The white lace escaping from a dark gray sleeve damasked in silver brushed across her wrist, as her palm touched the flesh of the elder Prince.

"Lucifel...!" She never forgot her manners around anyone but him. Courtiers whispered that Prince Lucifel was a chilly man, quite like his father, and yet Azrael had never seen that in him. He smiled and spoke with welcoming, friendly tones when they spoke, did he not?

Nor did he ever pay much mind to her lapses in proper address. The familiarity only made him smile more often. Perhaps perpetually. "Lady of gold, this evening?"

Her pale eyes crinkled in amusement. "It is a bit much, but my Lady mother had the fabric sent from Etemenanki itself."

"So far? Your Lady mother treasures you, clothing you in holy gold."

"Holy." Azrael was frank with her distaste in the word. And yet, she had always been frank with him. A Prince, of all things... "Or she desires to make sunbeams out of me."

"And perhaps you are the sun." Lucifel's fingers delicately wrapped around her own, the dance carrying them several strides across the floor. Had she briefly caught the younger Prince rolling his eyes at them, as they'd turned? "And I am a drab and dreary moon."

"Drab?" She laughed. She reveled in the way their laughter sounded when mixed together. "Some drab moon you are, my Lord."

"I confess I am not so drab, no. The sun makes all things glorious."

A short, overwhelmed part of a laugh slipped from her lips, and she exclaimed, "Your Grace has become quite familiar. Is the wine too good? I've yet to drink any!"

"The wine is quite good this evening, or so I have heard." When her dance carried her closer to him, he caught her other palm with his. Steel gray held silver eyes in the kind of gaze that stops the stars from moving across the sky, and he murmured, "We are not familiar enough."

She was a young, ripe 16 to his 17, a maid, and it showed in the roses blooming on her cheeks. "Good friends."

"For years." Lucifel agreed, but courtly love was not enough. He held her gaze even as they bowed, her curtsy sending the golden skirt of her dress in a delicate wave across the floor, and then they stood again. "I would have you turn away from me, Lady Azrael."

A tremble thundered through her, but she obeyed the Prince, knowing what would happen next. She had seen this enough times at court with the other ladies and lords...

The sweeping of her cobalt hair over one shoulder...

The necklace draped around her neck... oh, a most beautiful necklace, such as she had never seen before. Strings of black pearls, separated at every group of five with a golden fleur de lys, and set at the center was a sapphire, laced with gold all around the edges. Jewels fit for a Queen, she was sure.

But she could not prepare herself for the words he carefully whispered to her, as he took his time with the clasp. "You see the maid there, switching out dishes."

"Yes, my Lord..." Remembering court manners had become easier than anything else.

"When the night is over, go to her. She will bring you to my quarters."

The Prince left without waiting for the soft, wavering, "Yes, my Lord," that she hung on the air. Her fingers gently touched the large sapphire that he bestowed upon her, and she could not, for the life of her, remember if she had ever seen him do this with anyone else. After all, there was a reason that the court considered him chilly...

Chilly. A silly word for Prince Lucifel. Azrael felt anything but cold.

†

By the time Azrael stepped into Lucifel's private quarters, she had already nearly come undone. Though she had known the pleasure of his company for many years, she had never gone any further in his quarters than the front room... But the maid brought her through two sets of double doors, and as soon as Azrael's pale eyes settled on the Prince's form, heat touched her all over again.

"Your Grace," The maid said with a curtsy, "The Lady Azrael."

"Leave us." He had shed his doublet, and the soft, white silk of his blouse settled on him in a way that was all too inviting, but he had kept the heavy livery chain of royalty on. It settled wide across his shoulders, reminding her of his station... as though she would need help remembering. Everything about the way he carried himself was that of royalty...

Including the way his fingers traced along her jaw, the way his hands cupped her face as he claimed her lips with his own. He was a Prince of Heaven, and he would have all that he desired.

"I would have this holy gold on my floor." Lucifel was breathless. Azrael could not recall any moment that he had been breathless around her. "You have no need of it."

"I should like to keep the necklace on, my Lord..." She quivered at the feel of the golden fabric pooling at her feet, at his hands running through the delicate ties holding her corset together.

He laughed in her ear, so unlike the laughter he normally shared with her. Soft and secret. "Call me by my name and my name only, and you may keep my gift to you around your neck..."

His command had turned out easy to obey, though in the heat of his bedsheets and his body, Azrael had thought to cling onto his title. To use it as a sailor uses an anchor, trying to keep steady. Yet when there was nothing on his body but his royal livery and nothing on hers but that necklace, she knew there was no hope for either of them. They were lost at sea. All they could do was rock together as the waves overtook them.

Perhaps the evening had begun too quickly, though Lucifel's fingers already made her body crash once, spurring cries from her. "Luc...!" His name was incomplete within her mouth, but she could call him no more than that. She could say nothing else as she felt him settle between her legs, felt the length of him push deep into her and still.

She had wondered if this was not the Prince's first time inside of another. He had been entirely confident, sure of every caress and kiss he made... but the look on his face said differently. Azrael had never seen his eyes both half-lidded and bewildered like this, had never seen his mouth drop open before...

"Our first." Lucifel's voice was a sigh that Azrael hoped to hear for the rest of her days. Never before had anything or anyone overpowered him, never before had his voice ever betrayed such a thing.

"Yes..." She responded in kind, her lips brushing across his own. "No one has known me but you. I am honored to be the only one you have known..."

Azrael spurred a smile out of him, drunk on the feel of her, and what he couldn't convey with his words, he conveyed with his body.