True King's Ecstasy

Sariya paced nervously around the small, candlelit room, her heart and mind racing faster than her feet. She turned to her younger lover and to-be husband Velian, who was lounging on a nearby couch while patting Aurora's head, and spoke in a worried tone.

"S-something's not right, Velian. The adventures guild, even after we announced the founding of a new kingdom, and yet...they're so awfully silent. Don't you think that's strange?"

"Normally, they should be coming after us because it's dangerous to have a main kingdom like us alone, but those adventurers gave up so easily,"

Velian shrugged nonchalantly.

"Maybe they're just taking their time. Going against some who found a kingdom isn't an easy task, after all."

Sariya shook her head.

"No, no, it's not that. They're usually so vocal about their plans, but now they're being...too quiet. I just have this feeling that something bad is going to happen."

Velian sat up, his expression serious.

"What kind of bad?"

"I don't know," Sariya admitted.

"But we can't just sit here and wait for it to happen. We have to do something."

Velian stood up and walked over to her, taking her hands in his.

"Okay. What do you suggest we do?" He knew Sariya and Daphnia had women's intuition more than anyone else.

Sariya took a deep breath, her mind racing with possibilities.

"We need to find out what they're planning. Maybe we can spy on them and infiltrate their headquarters with our assassins or confront them directly."

Velian raised an eyebrow. "Confront them? That could be dangerous."

"I know, I know," Sariya said.

"But we can't just sit here and do nothing. We have to be proactive, or we will get overtaken by them,"

Velian thought for a minute.

"What If I use one of my doppel to do that, but I will have to bring one of them back from the kingdoms they are currently in," Velian said.

"How many of them do you have, Velian?" Sariya was interested to know about Velian's power, so she questioned.

"Hmm~ I have four of them, but one got destroyed, I don't know who did it, but someone caught it,"

"Who destroyed it? Which kingdom managed to harm them?" Interested about knowing, Sariya questioned to which Velian had to answer her truthfully.

"Dukas Union, that's why I said there's something strange there,"

Sariya looked over at Velian, her eyes full of concern.

"Velian, I'm worried about that black smoke too. What if it attacks you again?"

Velian paused from his work, turning to face her.

"I understand your concern, Sariya. But don't worry, I'm making progress in identifying its origin and how to protect ourselves from it."

Sariya nodded slowly, but her worry didn't dissipate.

"What if something happens to you? I couldn't bear it, Velian. I want to be with you no matter what."

Velian reached out and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I appreciate your concern, Sariya. But I won't let anything happen to myself, or you. I promise you that."

Sariya smiled weakly, but her eyes still betrayed her fear.

"I just feel like I'm not doing enough to help."

Velian shook his head, his eyes locked onto hers.

"You're doing more than enough, Sariya. Your presence alone is enough to keep me going. I couldn't do this without you."

Sariya's heart swelled at his words, and she leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'll always be here for you, Velian. No matter what happens."

"Sariya, can you take care of her? I have some business to deal with," Pointing at Aurora, Velian questioned as everyone else was out at this hour of the day except Daphnia and Sariya.

"Sure! It's my duty as her mother, "Sarita smiled and then, she looked at Velian with a confused look.

"Veli, what is Elda up to? Recently, she's going out a lot,"

"Ohh! Didn't she tell you? She's going to be taking over the academy, I'm going to make her principal of that place," Velian to which Sariya looked at him with a sceptical look.

"Can she take such a huge responsibility? I don't think she can," Sariya knew her own daughter's limits, so she didn't think it was a good idea.

"She's too timid, she won't be able to control students with her timidness,"

Velian smiled at her words.

"That's why I gave it to her, it's challenging and she will understand how hard it is to control an academy, besides she will improve, don't worry, I have some extra teachers to help her," Reassuring Sariya once again, Velian left her working room and entered a dark hallway.

Velian's heart pounded in his chest with excitement, as he cautiously stepped through the dark and foreboding hallway.

He knew that prison's chamber lay ahead, a place where unspeakable horrors were inflicted upon those unfortunate enough to fall into their clutches and right now that place was filled with the captured spies, who tried to harm Velian or gather information about him.

As he entered the room, Velian's eyes were met with a gruesome sight. The spies, once proud and defiant, were now broken and battered, their bodies twisted and contorted from the agonizing pain inflicted upon them.

But amidst the carnage, Velian's eyes found Naomi, her delicate features marred by a look of grim determination.

"Velian," she called out, her voice cutting through the suffocating silence which broke from time to time, by agonising groaning sounds of the prisoners.

"We've got some information from these spies."

Velian approached her, his heart heavy with excitement and anger.

"What did they say?" he demanded, his voice barely above a whisper.

Naomi's eyes glinted with steely resolve as she relayed the intel they had gathered. Despite the horrors that surrounded them, Velian found himself strangely comforted by her presence. Amid all the darkness and despair, Naomi was a beacon of hope, a light shining in the depths of the underworld.

While Lyra is the little devil that inflicted on to those who seemed harm upon him, and one can say she was a guardian angel and a demon at the same time.