Terence marched through the dimly lit halls of the imperial palace. Paintings of his ancestors lined the walls and watched over him as he passed, dim magic crystals softly hummed to keep them lit. The darkness beyond the windows clawed and begged to be let in. Despite having grown up in the palace, Terence felt as if he were in some unknown place as he failed to recognize the atmosphere of his home and what furthered his unease was that there wasn't a single guard stopping him. The servants were tucked into rooms, administrators and staff were remaining hidden or had already escaped, and the knights who should be guarding the halls were nowhere to be seen. "…" Terence marched on. While many would think Marcus would be in the throne room or his bedroom, Terence was making his way to a particular room in the imperial palace that not many knew about. One of Terence's teachers had told him about it years ago, there was a room in the palace that only the ruler and their designated heir could enter. Some said it was a treasure vault filled with wealth, others that it was a secret armory containing weapons and armor that could rival the most powerful of Aurister or Magister, and some even said it was a lab for terrible experiments. "…Here." Terence pushed those thoughts aside as he approached the door to the unknown room that sat at the end of a long hallway on the top floor of the palace. Heavy wooden doors with ornate golden handles stood before him with glowing crystals on either side humming with power; power that seemed to be keeping even the darkness at bay. After taking a deep breath, Terence stepped forward and pushed open the doors.

  "…Ah, Terence," Marcus spoke with a neutral, measured tone from within the room. He stood across the room by a large window that looked out over the land around Gorinville and seemed eerily calm about what was happening. "Come in." Marcus gave a slight gesture for Terence to join him by the window.

  "…" Terence was initially thrown off by Marcus' lack of hostility or panic at the situation, but when he stepped into the room he was once more struck into a stupor.

  "Take your time, have a look around." Marcus was in no apparent rush and returned his gaze to out the window while Terence looked around the room: the private Arlexton museum. Stone pedestals held various strange objects for display, the walls were decorated with things Terence didn't understand, and the whole room felt…wrong to be in.

  "…" With his sword still drawn, Terence walked around the room and marveled at what was kept inside. Portraits of landscapes of places Terence couldn't imagine, a mass of metal boxes and tubes that held some unknown purpose, a large piece of metal with its edges singed had a word printed on it in a language Terence didn't know. Oddities of all kinds with no clear purpose adorned every inch of the museum. On a nearby pedestal, Terence saw a small square that was no thicker than a sheet of paper. It looked like a portrait of a family in strange clothing all smiling at the viewer while a dog sat in the center of them. Yet what threw Terence off about it was how high quality the portrait looked; it looked as if a moment in time had been perfectly captured onto this small, glossy square. "What…is all this?"

  "The truth the gods hide from us," Marcus replied without turning away from the window.

  "The truth?" Terence finally walked over to join his father by the window and followed his gaze. In the distance stood the wizard's tower with its windows softly glowing in the oppressive darkness.

  "That we are not the only humans in the universe." Marcus kept his eyes trained on the wizard's tower as if waiting for something; as if there were two possible outcomes and Marcus was waiting to see which would happen. "Humans living on other planets, around other stars, living lives under countless 'gods'."

  "…?" Terence continued staring out the window as his father's words echoed in his head.

  "Everything in this room was found by wizards, over the decades, and collected before They could get rid of it…of the evidence that we aren't alone." The stoic expression never left Marcus' face, though there was a hint of apprehension in his eyes. "That there are other empires, other nations, just out of sight, out of reach. Some…even closer than we realize."

  "They?"

  "…The avatar of that monster, Zulm." Marcus' tone took on that of a teacher educating their student. "There are countless incidents dating back to even before the founding of Urldrusk of objects falling from space that held strange artifacts. The artifacts within this room are but a fraction of those that fell since Zulm usually gets to them first and removes them so we remain ignorant. So that we do not dare challenge the fate they force on us and strive for what humanity was truly destined for." A deep-seated longing filled Marcus' voice and heart as he finished, "To take the very stars as ours."

  "…" Terence felt his heart stir at his father's words while his soul turned away and resented them. A lump formed in his throat, an uncomfortable division of heart and mind. "And the wizards…would take us there?"

  "…Yes," Marcus softly replied. "Or, at least, they would have…if not for your-…for Duke Ordrins' coup." Marcus corrected himself and Terence felt the weight of that correction crush him. Even if Terence won and was crowned Emperor, Duke Ordrin and Duke Mordrist would be the ones truly leading Arlexia.

  "…I-!?!" A bright light from the wizard's tower interrupted Terence and drew his undivided attention. The lump in his throat grew heavier.

  "Congratulations, Terence," Marcus solemnly said as the clouds receded from the sky and allowed Sailest to bask the world with its divine light. "You win."

  "…" Terence stared in both awe and horror as, from their vantage at the top of the palace, they watched a hole tear in the sky and Zulm's tendrils slither out to end the wizards and the meteor. While he was a follower of the gods, living in the imperial palace also implanted some secularism within Terence's heart that stopped him from fully devoting himself to the faith. Was this thing, this…monster, truly the god everyone worshipped? Fear and reverence in equal measure filled Terence's heart and suffocated his voice.

  "And thus ends humanity's greatest chance at freedom." The magic crystals that once lit the room all snuffed out and the streets of Gorinville were extinguished.

  Terence, once again, tried to speak, "…I-"

  But Marcus interrupted him by calling out, "I will not welcome you to my palace, Monster, nor will I kneel to you. Even in defeat, I will not give you that satisfaction."

  "…?" Terence, confused at what his father was talking about while still looking out the window, turned around to see someone new standing in the doorway. Entering the room was an androgynous human whose features Terence could not remember even though he was actively looking at them. They wore sturdy boots covered in dirt, thick brown overalls that were worn but didn't have a single hole in them, a plain white shirt with sweat stains, light-brown gloves, a straw hat, and had a violet cloth rag tied over the lower half of their face. In their hand was a bucket filled with weeds.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "…" The Tender in The Grove gave a simple nod and tipped their hat in greeting to Marcus and Terence before getting to work.

  "…H-Hey!" Terence watched as The Tender walked over to the various artifacts around the room and started taking them down. No matter the size or composition of the artifact, The Tender would press it against the opening of the bucket where the weeds inside would reach out and grasp the artifact. Metal eroded and rusted away, paper decomposed, wood rotted, and all was consumed into the bucket as The Tender in The Grove began weeding Zulm's garden. Terence tried to stop them, "W-Wai-!?" Only for Marcus to grab Terence's wrists, force him to lift his sword to point at Marcus' chest, and plunge Terence's blade into his own heart.

  "This…is what you chose…" Blood trickled and fell down Terence's blade as Marcus started losing strength in his legs and leaned into Terence. "This…is the weight of your crown!" Marcus plunged the sword deeper into him to pull Terence closer. In a voice filled with disdain and bitter satisfaction, Marcus gave his final goodbye, "I hope it was worth it."

  "…" Terence was stunned by his father's actions and stared in horror into his father's eyes as he watched the last flicker of life leave them. Marcus' body slumped over and slid off the sword to collapse to the floor with a heavy thud. The crown that once sat upon his head bounced and rolled across the floor before being picked up.

  "…" The Tender walked over to Terence with the crown in hand and offered it to the new emperor.

  "…" With unease infesting his heart, Terence extended his hand, touched the crown, and-

  ***

  "-Emperor!?" a concerned voice called. "Are you alright!?"

  "Huh!?" Terence was dragged out of his thoughts and frantically looked around. Sunlight was shining in through the windows to the Emperor's private office where a pile of paperwork sat in front of him on a large wooden desk. Beyond the towers of paper stood his loyal retainers who were all looking at him with worry.

  "Fetch the physician, quickly!" one of them shouted to another.

  "Don't," Terence raised his hand to stop them. "I was just…lost in thought for a moment." Though, no matter how hard Terence tried to remember what he was thinking about, he couldn't recall. It was as if something was blocking a specific memory to hide something… But that wasn't important right now. "I was just crowned, if you call the physician for me spacing out, now, the empire will only be thrown into a panic. It's only been a month since I took the crown and we're still barely caught up on the backed-up paperwork."

  "…Very well." Reluctantly, the retainers relented and returned to their duties of trying to stabilize Arlexia now that Marcus and James were confirmed dead. Terence couldn't allow himself to be tired. "In that case, another petition from Duke Hoffman just arrived."

  "If it's about the land Sevette took, then throw it away." Terence rubbed his temples to relieve the building stress and he gave a heavy sigh. "I already told him that those lands staying with Duke Mordrist was the only compensation he had to pay for siding with my father. He should be lucky we aren't ousting him completely."

  "Unfortunately, I doubt that man will ever learn such humility," the retainer joked and tossed the petition aside.

  "…" Terence leaned back in his chair as he finished another document and flexed his fingers so they wouldn't cramp. The memory that once tried to resurface dissolved back into his subconscious and allowed the day to peacefully continue on.

  "There is…another matter that requires your attention, your Majesty." The retainer seemed nervous about bringing up the topic and was fidgeting with the paperwork in his hands.

  "What is it?" Terence braced himself for another annoyance.

  "The wedding between Olivia Ordrin and Lucina Sanguine is today…"

  "…So, it was today?" Terence slightly relaxed his posture. "Was there an issue with it that required my attention?"

  "Some nobles have continued to voice their…disapproval of the event." The retainer was being very careful with their words as they self-censored the exact wording the nobles had used. "It's a small-scale wedding despite being for one of the empire's future dukes and many complained about not being invited. Others are complaining about the consequences of allowing Holst to regain Solfin. And others, still, are upset that Countess Sanguine stole the position of Duchess from their unmarried sons."

  "…And how is this my issue?" Terence groaned. "While the dukes normally hold grand weddings for their children, there are no rules or laws stating that it can't be a smaller event. If the nobles have a problem with it, then they should bring it up to Duke Ordrin or Lady Olivia directly." Another paper was tossed aside. "As for Solfin, I imagine the nobles who question that decision are from Lorn? If so, they have no right to interfere in Holst… Besides, that was the price we paid to secure the coup's victory." Without the Hellhounds taking out the wizard's tower, there would have been far more bodies and blood clogging the earth than there ended up being. While many died, it wasn't a complete bloodbath. "I will hear no more about Solfin." Another paper was tossed away. "And, lastly, the noble assembly already passed the revocation of the law banning same-sex marriages. And I, personally, know a handful of those 'unmarried sons' are taking this new age we find ourselves in to start exploring, with the help of Lady Alm's flock." Ever since the revocation, the faithful of Alm have been giddily digging up their old scriptures and rituals to once more spread Alm's full, uncensored teachings. "That talk will die down in time, so ignore them." A final paper was tossed into the pile that would be used as kindling, later.

  "As you say, your Majesty." The cool November day continued on as the palace was bustling with activity of trying to restore peace to the empire. Once Marcus' death was announced, Trent returned and solved the supply shortage with citizens cheering for the merchants as they entered the streets. They praised Terence. They praised Trent. And, most importantly, they praised Olivia; Trent's biggest collaborator. For Terence, Trent's return was an olive branch held in place by a chain. A chain that could easily be yanked away.

  ***

  "Exchange the jewels around the collar, use these sapphires instead," Alice ordered while handing the maids a box of jewelry.

  "At once, Madam!"

  "…Mom?" Olivia tried to speak up.

  "Hmm… Mary, move the hair ornament to the other side." Alice rubbed her chin as she expectantly watched Mary work.

  "Of course, Duchess!" Mary happily complied and took the ornament out of Olivia's hair.

  "Mom?" Olivia tried her best not to move while Mary adjusted her outfit.

  "Bring the blush, I feel her cheeks could-"

  "Mom! Please!" Olivia pleaded with her mother. "At this rate, we'll have to reschedule the wedding until tomorrow!" Olivia, Alice, Mary, and a few other maids were in a side room of the temple to Alm in Ertrum where the wedding was being held. While everything had been finalized already, that didn't stop Alice from making last-minute adjustments now that it was actually the day of the event.

  "Oh, don't say that!" Alice waved her hand and dismissed the notion while taking in her daughter's appearance. "It's not every day I get to see you like this after all," while her voice was jovial, a puddle of dourness stained Alice's otherwise upbeat mood.

  "…" While Alice was doing a good job hiding it, Olivia knew Derik's disappearance hit her hard; as did the subsequent decision to announce his death so Olivia could become the heir of Holst without question. Even if she was genuinely excited to hold her daughter's wedding, Alice was obviously struggling to keep her mental state together. Olivia gave a laugh to distract her mother, and mentioned, "And, did I not say I would look good in a suit?"

  Alice gave a soft chuckle, and agreed, "…Indeed, you were right." She looked over Olivia's wedding attire with silent admiration. Since Olivia would be the one holding the title of duke, she decided to wear a custom-fitted suit while Lucina would wear a dress. Polished white shoes, freshly pressed white pants, and a brilliant blue shirt under a white overcoat were adorned with blue and yellow jewelry that glinted in the sun's light that spilled in through the windows. Mary helped another maid drape a cape across Olivia's shoulders whose outer layer was an azure blue while the inner layer was a dull yellow to match Holst's colors. Her whole outfit was matched to those colors, except for a single piece. It was a tradition for nobles to wear primarily white with the colors of their house during their wedding while wearing a single piece of jewelry the color of their spouses' house. In her case, Olivia's silver hair ornament was embedded with bright red rubies. Alice finished the preparations by clasping shut the silver chain that held the cape over Olivia's shoulders, and mused, "You…look beautiful, Olivia."

  "…" While Olivia wanted to hug her mother now, she knew that would wrinkle her suit so she kept it to just a bright smile. She allowed her mother to brush her long, free-flowing hair off her ears and leaned into Alice's hand.

  "…" The two remained in an unspoken conversation as Alice took deep breaths to control herself, though the tears that ran down her face betrayed both her joy and sorrow. She took a step back and reached up to her face. "Ah…I'm sorry, I-"

  "Mom," Olivia's soft voice interrupted her mother as she held her hand. "It's okay." Taking a handkerchief from Mary with her free hand, Olivia gently wiped away her mother's tears. Turning to a maid, Olivia ordered, "Let them know we'll be out in a bit."

  "Of course, my Lady!" the maid replied, bowed, and hurriedly left to inform Richard and Elder Arkin of their potentially delayed arrival.

  "…I'm sorry," Alice muttered as her tears refused to stop.

  "I understand. It's okay, Mom." Even if she didn't feel any remorse for Derik's disappearance or possible death, she knew it was different for her mother. She also understood the pain of losing a beloved family member from when Ayaka's mother died so Olivia could still empathize with Alice.

  "…" Alice did her best to control her emotions and finally managed to stop her tears. While her eyes were sad, her smile was filled with joy and pride as she once more took in her daughter wearing her wedding suit. "Ah…enough!" Alice lightly slapped her cheeks and took a deep breath. "I can't keep you waiting on your special day! Mary!"

  "Right this way," Mary replied as she rushed over and opened the door. She and all the maids formed a line and bowed as Olivia and Alice passed with their arms linked together. It was time for the wedding to begin.