Lavender observed as Theon calmly explained the options available to the Bernans. Since she couldn't stand the malicious intentions that swarmed around the Bernans, she focused on their Princess. The very air around her sparkled with happiness and relief so vast that Lavender could only compare it to her own happiness when it turned out that Kirin and all of the Dryads would be spared. However, there was still a shard of anxiety and the feeling of terrible loss. Lavender tried to understand the reasons behind Elisabeth's feelings when the doors to the throne room opened, letting in a brightly smiling man who was holding a cat.
"My King! I was successful!" He grinned even wider.
"Excellent, Ian!" Theon clapped and smiled back. "But where did you get that cat from?"
"Well, when they just took off without any warning, I politely asked them to return so I could leave. They started spouting some nonsense about the holy war, so I just went up to the captain to protest." Ian hummed and looked upwards theatrically.
"To protest?" The king raised his brow as Ian returned his gaze.
"You asked me to be diplomatic, my Lord," Ian sighed and shrugged.
"And then?"
"Well, since he was being so unreasonable, I killed him."
"Uhm..." Theon nodded slowly, agreeing with Ian. "What about the cat?"
"I stole it from the captain's quarters to add insult to injury, and I jumped from the window, sir!" Ian grinned, presenting the cat.
"Oh, this is just fantastic, Ian. We will have a war just because you had to steal a cat..." Lavender noticed her husband's barely-held laughter as Ian thoughtfully raised his finger.
"Nah. I am sure they will hold a grudge because you, my Lord, decided to kill their god, rip his soul away, and trap him in the eternal torment of souls by burying him in the unconsecrated graveyard of the Righteous Dungeon."
"Hmmm... Do you think so? I am fairly sure it will be all about the cat." Now, the Dryad Queen was sure that both of them could barely hold their laughter at that point.
"Hmmm..." Ian theatrically lifted the cat to take a better look. "Well... To be honest, it might be because of this fine she-cat, my Lord... Damn, my bad! I will reflect on my shame."
"Oh, totally. Go and lock yourself up or whatever..." She almost rolled her eyes, seeing as they fought to keep their straight faces, noting the outrage mixed with disbelief on the faces of the Bernan delegation. "Shoo... But leave the cat."
"Kitty!" Elisabeth shouted, full of relief, and covered her lips with both of her hands in embarrassment and slight fear.
The cat held by Ian started meowing furiously and tried to break free. Ian smiled at the Princess and released the cat, who dashed towards Elisabeth. The Bernan Princess grabbed her cat with tears in her eyes, and Lavender smiled as the previous sadness and feeling of loss was replaced with overwhelming happiness. Meanwhile, Ian bowed and almost ran away from the throne room. Lavender shook her head in disbelief but with a bright smile as she realised that Ian was yet another man after Blair, who shared a special bond with Theon. The King of Avalon looked once more at the Bernans and offered them a last opportunity to change their minds. His tone changed from the previous playful and cheerful to cold as ice, startling the people with its sharpness.
"You may choose to follow my orders at your own will..."
"Stop it, you heathen fool! We will never betray our Gods and Kingdom!" The head of the delegation proudly straightened himself. "You can kill us, but we will stay true to our convictions!"
"There is no need to kill you. I can guarantee you will follow my orders." Theon shrugged, and Lavender felt the immense power he had called.
When he previously casually erased the gaesa that were placed on Elisabeth, she could only watch in silent awe. But now, as he effortlessly and instinctively used the long-forgotten will-binding gaesa, Lavender started fully grasping the power of the Dungeons. The Bernans dropped to their knees, screaming in terror and pain. They screamed, and Lavender looked at her husband with fear, but he simply smiled calmingly as he sat down on his throne.
"I'm putting them under my spells and geasa. While I think that my plan would succeed with the Princess and Twirll alone, having them would make their job way easier." He looked bored and unimpressed. "I used a similar gaesa on Princess Elisabeth, and she did not act as if she was hurting all over."
"Mhm..." Lavender nodded, and after a moment, she shrugged.
She had no obligation to be compassionate about the men who would have killed her if not for Theon. So, she very quickly returned to her previous thoughts. If she recalled correctly, Kirin also used gaesa occasionally, but never to such an extent as Theon. Lavender had to confirm her theory, but right now, she was almost sure that the Dungeons innately used incredibly powerful abilities. Probably, no one had ever told Theon about that as well. She rested her head on the throne and glanced at the richly decorated ceiling before she closed her eyes. Theon was a Dungeon Core, and the power he commanded was nothing that should be taken lightly. From the thousands of unquestionably loyal denizens, through the unfathomable knowledge of a reincarnated person, to the unknown extents of powers he commanded, sometimes unbeknownst even to him, Theon couldn't have been compared to any Mortal or even to the legendary Heroes of the past. In his power, he was closer to the Gods of this world, or at least the ones she had met. Gods... She had watched Theon kill the God of Berna with her very own eyes. And she had helped him... When the realisation settled in, she paled as she opened her eyes and straightened herself on the throne. She had changed, and she was a bit frightened by that change. But then Lavender looked at Theon, and she smiled. She would never regret her choice. She was now Lavender of Avalon, Lavender va'Theon. She felt someone looking at her, and she quickly noticed that Elisabeth was observing her, full of awe as she held the cat.
"I'm sorry, my Lady..." The Princess of Berna lowered her gaze after blushing in embarrassment.
"I guess, I should get used to all kinds of gazes now..." Lavender sighed, pointing behind the princess. "You may take a seat, Princess Elisabeth."
Elisabeth hesitated for a moment, but seeing the expecting gaze of the Queen, she sat on the nearby chair. The screams of the Bernan diplomats ceased eventually, and Elisabeth saw them all kneeling in front of the King. They had lowered their heads and still breathed heavily, but the Living Armours stepped back from them, returning to their original posts.
"Will you follow my will now?" the king asked in a bored voice.
"Yes, our King!" they replied in unison, with slight trembling and forced voices.
"So... Where were we before we were disturbed?" Elisabeth looked in terror at the man who had just subjugated six of Berna's most experienced and strong-minded diplomats to his will. She wondered what kind of powers that man commanded if he could not only break the gaesa placed on her but also bind the diplomats and four paladins to his will. She covered her mouth as her eyes widened in shock when she recalled one of the titles the King mentioned before his fight with Jukk'nala.
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Theon Avalon, the Righteous Dungeon...
•••
After the battle ended, the Queens of Avalon reluctantly stayed to supervise the city's capitulation. They were not in a rush since Theon had already dealt with Bernans, but unfortunately, not how they had hoped. The least they could do in this situation was to conclude the conquest of Cridia properly. Initially, all five of them refused to enter the city, relegating this questionable privilege to Ban and Blair. Recently, however, Aoi had changed her mind, wanting to see the capital of one of the three biggest countries of Aderon. Luna decided to go with her, which surprised the remaining Queens. However, Luna wanted to confirm something, and as she wasn't so keen to enter the city itself, she said that travelling together might be for the better. As the Queen responsible for all intelligence gathering and counterintelligence protection of Avalon, Luna was very diligent in her work. The agents, prepared to secure everything valuable in the city, were waiting to infiltrate it alongside the Legions entering it. So, while the two of them, with the assistance of the Praetorians led by Morrigan, prepared to enter the city, Amber, Irene, and Hestia discussed the news from the Palace.
"I still can't believe that the Bernans decided to declare war..." Irene shook her head in disbelief.
"That was inevitable if we think about it, sister..." Hestia stretched herself out on her chaise lounge as she took the freshly brewed tea served by the Slime Maid. "Thank you."
"At your service, my Lady." The Maid smiled and moved to the other Queens with her tray.
"Well... Yes. But I had hoped we could have at least a few months of break." Amber rubbed her temples.
"No... I meant that I would have stayed home if I had known that one of Berna's gods would come with their delegation, especially if I had known that Jukk'nala would come! I had strong suspicions, but I lacked solid proof that it was that bastard who was hunting Dryads for centuries before they found sanctuary in Westwood." Hestia sighed.
"You kidding? Poor Lavender..." Irene shook her head. "You should have said something earlier, Hestia!"
"Like what? Hey, Theon, sisters, and you, Lavender. I just wanted to tell you that Jukk'nala, Berna's god of nature, hates Dryads and has probably killed hundreds of them. But I have no proof to support my claim." Hestia rolled her eyes.
"Well... If you put it this way..." Irene blushed. "Sorry..."
"Don't mention it... At least now, we can be sure that Jukk'nala can't hurt anyone else. Theon resolved that problem permanently." Hestia smiled viciously.
They heard a distant explosion coming from the city. The city gates were still closed despite the defeat of the Cridian army and the enslavement of their queen. The three Queens looked towards the ruckus, and Irene paled a bit. "Why did those two decide to be this close to that city..."
"I guess curiosity, but maybe Luna wanted to make sure to... I don't know." Amber spread her hands in a powerless gesture. "But Zephyr is with them, so they should have enough air to breathe. Still... I'm almost sure they are not going to enter that city."
The three Queens fell into a thoughtful silence. They all had reasons to avoid entering that city; its stench was a convenient excuse. For Hestia, it was painful to see the state of her once major temple. Irene wasn't ready to revisit the places that were once favourites for her and her two friends. Amber wasn't prepared to see what had happened with her family home. Amber knew she would never be ready and decided it was better never to check. She feared the memories that could awaken or, on the contrary- be destroyed. That was why they were waiting in the large pavilion, and they indulged themselves in conversation. They would soon return to Avalon, one way or another, but they could spare these last few moments waiting for their generals to return with the captured Cridian Nobles. In front of their pavilion stood a lonely slave cage, inside of which was Josla Cridia, who was half-sitting, half-kneeling. Amber had taken the Cridian crown from her, and instead of wearing her usual Mage robe as she had during the battle, Josla wore only rags. They were the same rags worn by one of the slaves saved during one of many Avalon's raids in the past.
Josla was crying silent tears as she watched her city fall from behind the bars of a slaver’s cart. It was her fault and shame that the once proud kingdom was brought to its knees. She would be forever remembered as a failure, but only if anyone would remember her at all. The strange wardens placed near her cell of shame wore strange and expensive armours, and their weapons were master-crafted. Their behavior made her realise that she was looking at the most elite warriors of the new King of Cridia, the kingdom that had previously belonged to her. She knew there was no one to shed a tear after her after Goddess Hestia forced Josla to recognize all evil she had permitted and committed herself. She couldn't even curse the man who was her downfall, as he considered her unworthy of his presence on the battlefield. The man who slayed Korkas and took away everything she once had was currently meeting with the delegation of the Holy Kingdom of Berna. She shifted her gaze away once the proud gates burst into a column of flames. No one was going to save her, let alone kill her and save her from the fate that was waiting for her.
•••
Luna tilted her head as she gazed at the melted ruins of the gatehouse. She knew that Amber held herself not to set the entire city on fire, and Luna was impressed by her sister's mana control and aim from such a long distance. The Third Queen of Avalon loudly snapped her fingers, unleashing the Pillar of Fire that destroyed the inner gates to the city. A quick glance ensured her that no smouldering debris might cause the citywide fire, so she rinsed everything with the weakest Water Lance to calm her conscience. Thanks to Zephyr, a strong wind was whipped around them, blowing away the unbelievable stench of the city. But it was still hard on Luna's nose. The Legionnaires of the Legio Aegis spearheaded the attack. She focused on the city, and as she suspected, she discovered many hidden chambers underground. Luna made sure to send all her spies in all directions, laying back her ears in panic as entering the city seemed inevitable.
"Luna..." Aoi sounded miserable as she looked at her with a sickly grimace. "I changed my mind. I don't want to go inside."
Aoi covered her face with a handkerchief. Despite the strong wind, the unpleasant smell was still too much for her sharp senses.
"No objections... I thought you wanted to see the capital of Cridia." Luna relaxed but made sure not to take too deep a breath.
"I know, I know... But... The smell..." Aoi lowered her head, feeling guilty to waste Luna's time.
"Agree. Fully agree. This stench brings tears to my eyes. From the day I started living in Avalon, I thought every city in the world was as clean... I admit I was a little bit curious myself, but..." Luna shivered with disgust, thinking about all those poor people living in such conditions, as she turned away her horse, with Aoi following her. "I know you wanted to see the city, and I know I promised to accompany you, Aoi, but maybe instead of going there personally, you can use the eyes of one of the Eagles?"
"That's brilliant!" Aoi brightened as she followed Luna back to the camp. "However, now I am curious how Theon keeps Avalon so clean and smelling nicely..."
As they began their retreat from under the walls of the last Cridian city, Luna felt a very strange presence. She turned head, but since she couldn't spot anyone, she gave a mental command to the Slimes to ensure that everyone leaving the city was properly checked.
•••
Blair entered the city that he had once considered the capital of the world. He remembered the tall and proud buildings protected by the mighty walls, and in the centre of that huge and wonderful city stood the mighty palace where the Royal Family of Cridia once resided. But the reality he faced now was... Disappointing, at best. The cobblestone streets were uneven and full of grime and built-up trash, the buildings were dirty, and some were in very poor condition. With slight amusement and shock, he noticed how his memories were being reconfigured by the cold facts surrounding him. Compared to the memories of Avalon and his new home, Westwood, this city was just a ruin. The most depressing fact was that Cridia City had been captured without any significant destruction of the city. He remembered this city from his childhood when the previous king had an entire army of city cleaners who maintained it. However, it was apparent that his daughter neglected everything the previous rulers had worked so hard to achieve. The royal palace looked like some shack, and he hadn't even started comparing the Cridia City to Avalon. If he would have done that more thoroughly, the effect would have been even more crushing. Instead, he planned to follow the shining example of his venerable Queens, and after making sure everything was correctly done, he would get out of there in the fastest way possible.
"My Lord! The city has been captured. The remaining soldiers surrendered about ten minutes ago," one of the guardsmen lieutenants announced while saluting him.
"Excellent. Inform the Queens. What about the nobles?"
"Two of them committed suicide, but we captured the rest of them."
"Suicide?" Blair furrowed his brows and then raised one of them questioningly.
"Yes, sir! I can assure you that no one of our men helped them. They were already dead when we found them."
"Very well. Lieutenant, I want to get this over with as soon as possible and return to Avalon. We wasted enough time here. I have my own wedding to attend to!" He sighed, knowing they had to take everything of value before destroying the city. "Taking proper inventory of things will be troublesome... Okay. Charles! Gather the people in the main square so we can tell them they have a new king..."