After the death of the king and his family, Juldania was once more united – not as an empire of force, or of economy, but as one of ideals. The people of the Lenoran Union had won their safety, security, and freedom, for both them and the neighbors throughout Juldania.

The First Citizen was, of course, declared to be the new king. He continued to take care of the people, and to meet their needs. In his many addresses to his citizens, King Bernard often mentioned being uncomfortable with the title of King. For the Lenoran Union’s strength was in its people, and not its leader. He was always happy, he insisted, to be called First Citizen instead.

For this humility, Bernard’s people loved him. This was not the only reason he was so beloved, though; he ruled well. He gave the people no reason to worry, and no reason to be angry. All people worked together, and an era of prosperity and peace began that trumped what all living members had ever known.

True to his word, King Bernard kept alive the memory of Peter, and had a plaque made to remind the people of the man who had taken the lead in spreading their word, and their mission.

Overall, Bernard’s rule was one of justice, where his version of the golden rule prevailed – “make no enemies.” His personal addendum to the rule, which was always dropped when speaking to the public was “unless you can crush them completely.”

And that is exactly what he did. The small intrigues and political schemes that plague every government were eradicated as quickly as they were discovered; participants were wiped from existence like they had never ben there to begin with. Foreign powers recognized the Lenoran Union, and learned quickly that they were no meek feel-good community – slights against them were dealt with swiftly, harshly, and very quietly.

While the Lenoran Union was large, it was also conveniently sparse in places, and remains so even to this day. The borders spread on one side to the sea, mountains to the other, and as far north as could be considered hospitable. It was plenty of land – everyone had the space they needed, without overcrowding.

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The other plus to this was that there was more than enough rough terrain and unexplored parts of the country where nature still reigned that Bernard could easily make someone disappear when needed, and the people were none the wiser.

Officially, one might say the people of the Lenoran Union needed no religion. They had their paradise, and they had their hope and trust in each other. However, even they recognized that there were some people who were filled with the spark of the divine. Some people, they knew, had the power to move mountains. Bernard, the people reasoned, was clearly one such man.

Many knew of his “humble beginnings” as a missionary, and over time, the King and First Citizen was occasionally called “Saint Bernard.” It was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, at least at first, but the popularity grew, as such things do. It wasn’t long before there was an air of reverence and devotion in the way it was said, and things began to snowball from there.

When Bernard had reigned for many years, old but still in excellent health, he suffered a tragic accident. He was surveying the kingdom from atop the high tower on the former royal manor, and fell to his death. It was the greatest tragedy that the people had faced in decades.

Bernard’s death led the country into a period of deep mourning. The day of his demise was declared to be a national holiday, and both the people and the presses went into overdrive telling stories of their beloved leader, whom had done so much for them and asked for so little.

It seemed more and more that people weren’t able to discuss Bernard without using the “Saint” honorific – it just felt wrong to omit it. And so the title became canonized. Many of the members of the propaganda and communication ministry ended up coming together to establish a true church, the Lenoran church. Of course, their former King, and First Citizen, was established as a savior figure, and the primary object of devotion.

Power, it turns out, can continue long after one is gone. It’s not just safety and security, but can result in the creation of a legacy, and of a legend; Bernard would have liked that lesson.