The next day, I woke up fresh and ready for whatever the day had to offer. The warm spring sun was distant, but merry bird songs were incredibly nice morning alarms. Luna, as usual, was sleeping atop me, and her fluffy tails tickled me a little bit whenever she moved. My six beautiful wives seemed to slowly wake up as well, with Amber and Hestia already lying on their sides with their heads supported by their slender hands. The thin duvets barely hid their naked bodies as they looked at me with bright smiles.
"How do you feel today?" Hestia asked, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from Aoi's face, who smiled through her sleep and turned to the other side.
"Hmmm... Extremely happy and incredibly well rested. Thank you, my Darlings." I smiled as I outstretched my arms and quickly covered a yawn.
"That's good." Amber smiled as she sat on the bed, letting the duvet slip down, exposing her perfect body.
"Mhmmm..." I noticed Luna also woke up, and she sat up, straddling me in the process. She smiled widely and warmly. "Congratulations, my Hero."
"Hahaha! You did it, Theon!" Irene laughed and woke Aoi and Lavender, who slowly stretched and rubbed their still-sleepy eyes.
"I did what?" I asked, stupefied, while I was bewildered by their unprecedented beauty.
"You conquered Cridia!" Amber lunged at me, pinning me to the bed as the laughter of her sister-queens accompanied her actions.
"In that case, we did it, my Cuties." I smiled thoughtfully. "I couldn't have done it without all of you!"
I slowly looked deep into their shining eyes and cutely smiling faces. Somehow, they all managed to hug me, and we relaxed in each other’s embrace in blissful silence. We silently decided we all deserved this joyful morning and kept it for ourselves. Thus, amid the fallout after the fall of Cridia, the Royal Family decided that just a few hours would not make any difference...
•••
We left the castle after lunchtime only to take a lazy stroll in the gardens, where Callicarpa and the Flower Girls joined us. Amber had sent the Flower Girls back to Avalon as soon as it was apparent that the battle for Cridia was over. The Girls took three thousand Praetorians with them and had returned home yesterday. Lavender and Callicarpa were extensively but respectfully questioned by the young women, thrilled by the opportunity to talk with real Dryads. In exchange, the Flower Girls told Callicarpa everything she wanted to know. The women joked and laughed during this picnic as I lay on a sunbed, enjoying the weather. The lush greenery of the carefully shaped landscape, basking in the warm sun's soft rays, helped us forget we were literally in the heart of a large and bustling city. Beyond the walls of the upper castle lay one of the greatest, if not the greatest, city in Aderon—the Dungeon City of Avalon, the capital city of my kingdom. I abruptly sat straight and looked at my wives, who, alarmed by my sudden movement and most likely my strange facial expression, looked at me.
"Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you all." I grinned at them. "I thought it was time to name our kingdom. I was thinking about it for some time and thought about the name from the myths of my old world. What do you think about the Kingdom of Arcadia?"
"Oh..." Hestia giggled. "I'm surprised the tales survived to your times."
"Hmmm? It was some powerful kingdom?" Amber turned her smiling face at Hestia.
"Not really... But it was a place of tranquil harmony between nature and the people who lived there. A place where many creatures lived in the bountiful, untouched forests and meadows... A Utopia..." Hestia sighed.
"Utopia?" Aoi frowned and tilted her head.
"A perfect place," Irene explained, looking surprised at Aoi and Amber. "What?"
"Nothing..." Aoi smiled and nodded at me. "I like it."
"So do I." Luna smiled, and Amber nodded in agreement.
"A harmony between the people and nature? Oh, how much I love this idea... Do you think it's also achievable in your kingdom, Theon?" Lavender fixed her green hair that had started curling towards its ends, creating magnificent locks.
"Our kingdom, my Dear..." I corrected her. "Of course. The harmony between nature and people is required for both to flourish. Like in our garden." I spread my arms, gesturing with open hands. "Without care, nature will prevail, but the world will inevitably turn into a green hell driven by the survival of the fittest. But when skillfully cared for, nature will reward us with breathtaking sceneries where creatures and people can live peacefully."
"Then Arcadia, my Dearest." Lavender smiled warmly.
"How about you, girls? Do you like that name?" I looked at the Flower Girls, who simply nodded, repeating it under their breaths with smiles.
"Yes, our King!" Lanka voiced the shared opinion of her peers and added her own with a cheerful smile. "I really like the sound of it."
"Then so be it! Let's proclaim it to every soul in the kingdom." I smiled and returned to doing nothing on the sunbed, which provoked laughter from the gathered women.
I looked at the blue, tranquil sky in which fluffy, white clouds sailed in their lazy journey. I took a deep breath of air that smelled of freshly cut grass. Everything around me was so surreal. When I was unleashed upon this unsuspecting world, I wasn't sure what to expect, and never once had I thought my life would look like this. I smiled and allowed myself for a few more moments of carelessness. "Oh... I almost forgot. We will have a guest joining us in a few moments."
•••
Elisabeth nervously swallowed and let out a sigh. The fire she felt in her soul when she pledged herself to the King of Avalon was gone, and she was lost between contradicting feelings– anger and fear, happiness and anxiety, and determination with resignation. Elisabeth fixed her dress again to distract herself from her thoughts. She was wearing a new dress, which was incredibly light and colourful. Its material was soft and smooth, and Elisabeth was bewildered by just that alone. But then the entire dress was simply stunning, and she couldn't spot a single blemish. Not that she particularly wanted to find one, but even the robes of the most prominent Bernan officials, including her father's, looked subpar compared to this dress. Elisabeth made dreamy eyes at the memory of the magnificent dress the Queen wore when they met. She quickly shook her head and focused on preparations. One of the maids informed her that she had been summoned before the King and the Queens. With awe, Elisabeth noticed that she started to look far better than ever before... A firm knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
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"Come in." As strange as it was in her situation, no one entered her room without her allowance. At first, it was puzzling, but she started to appreciate it after some time. A black-clad knight entered her room, shorter than the ones she had seen earlier, but somehow, she knew he was far more dangerous.
"It is time, Princess Elisabeth. Their Majesties are waiting," he informed her with a respectful but shallow bow. "Are you ready?"
"Yes..." she confirmed sheepishly and almost jumped up, startled by her cat who rubbed against her leg. "Kitty! You must stay here!"
With a disappointed meow, the cat was left behind as Elisabeth followed the four soldiers. Surprised, she noticed they were leaving the Palace instead of meeting in the throne room. Frankly, she was thankful that the meeting would be elsewhere since the grandeur and lavishly decorated throne room unsettled her. The soldiers soon took her outside, and Elisabeth, with pleasure, took a deep breath of fresh air and briefly stopped, but her wardens did not hasten her. They led her deeper into the gardens, which were, as probably everything else in the city, incredibly majestic and serene. After a few minutes of unhurried walking, Elisabeth heard distant laughter. Soon after, they reached a charming meadow on the edge of a birch grove. The smell of freshly cut grass filled the air with a pleasant aroma mixed with the scent of meadow flowers that grew near a babbling rivulet. Elisabeth, in surprise, noticed that thirteen women were sitting or lying on the thick blankets, on which were scattered various drinks and snacks. What struck her as odd was that all the gathered women seemed to be ordinary people around her age. She had expected to meet the scions of the Righteous Dungeon, but instead, the Queens of Avalon turned out to be people of the world. As she came closer, however, she felt the unmistakable presence of a Divine Being. 'Well... That would be it if I thought they were normal,' crossed her mind as each step made it harder to fight that pressure, eventually making her kneel in front of the King.
"Rise, Elisabeth Berna," his soft voice freed her from the influence of the unknown God. "I would like to introduce you to my wives."
She slowly stood up and noticed six of the thirteen women standing near him. Every single one of them was unfairly good-looking, and all of them were powerful beyond any imagination. She smiled with satisfaction, knowing that the Holy Kingdom of Berna had poked a sleeping giant who had just woken up. She was bewitched by their dresses, jewellery, and natural beauty, but seeing their soft smiles, she lowered her gaze and trembled. She never had a chance to seduce that man to begin with...
"Princess Elisabeth. My name is Amber va'Theon, The Ruling Queen of Arcadia, the First Queen of Avalon." The Half-Elf sat on her chair, which would have been called a throne in any other circumstances.
"I'm Irene va'Theon, The Saintess of Eriar, the Second Queen of Avalon." Elisabeth nervously bowed to the magnificent Elf woman. So, she was one of the reasons for the outrage in her father's court?
"My name is Luna va'Theon, the Guardian Spirit of Arcadia, the Third Queen of Avalon." The Bernan Princess, in shock, noticed the three silver and white fox tails and fox ears on top of the unfairly perfect face of the Kitsune. Elisabeth barely refrained from shaking her head in utter disbelief.
"My name is Hestia va'Theon, The Goddess of Arcadia, the Fourth Queen of Avalon." The pressure that had forced Elisabeth to kneel before returned for a moment, making her realise that the unknown God was, in fact, a Goddess. The Queen chuckled as she sat down and smiled warmly at her, making Elisabeth feel welcomed and safe. Hestia was one of the primary enemies of the Gods of Berna, but looking at her now, she started suspecting that the Holy Scriptures told lies about the Goddess.
"I am Aoi Sora va'Theon, The Daughter of the Sky and the Fifth Queen of Avalon." Elisabeth bowed to the unassuming woman. She then noticed her eyes and felt a primal fear gripping her heart. The reptile, no, not a mere reptile. These were the eyes of a mighty Dragon, looking at Elisabeth from the cute face of a young girl.
"We have already met, Princess," the Dryad smiled warmly at her. "I'm Lavender va'Theon, the Guardian of Yggdrasil, the Sixth Queen of Avalon."
All six Queens sat while the seven remaining women discreetly took their places. Elisabeth instantly understood they were the Queens' bodyguards. However, the Bernan Princess was focused on the Queens and everything about them. Their master-crafted dresses and magnificent royal mantles. Their titles and the love in the eyes of that man who she couldn't decide was a person, monster, or a God... Elisabeth stood before the most powerful individuals she had ever seen and was at a loss. She had no idea what to do now.
"Please, take a seat. We wish to learn more about you." The King waved his hand, and she sat on the chair that appeared out of nowhere behind her. Despite the informal setting, she swallowed. Oh, how glad she was they were not in the throne room of Avalon...
"About me? But I am no one..." She rubbed her hands over her dress.
"Never again spout such nonsense." The cold yet compassionate voice of Queen Amber made her flinch. "Whatever you were told in Berna, especially about the role of women and what we should or shouldn't do, is mostly garbage."
"Indeed..." The King nodded. "In my wives' gentle hands lay more power and authority than all commanded by the so-called gods of Berna."
His voice was calm and certain. Elisabeth couldn't help but be impressed by his demeanour, which was full of confidence and absolute authority. She, however, couldn't make herself speak, even under his expecting gaze. She silently cursed the years of conditioning and tried to find in herself the same strength that had driven her when King Theon had set her free. Yet, she was, as always, unable to utter a single word, paralysed by the events of the recent days.
"You have nothing to worry about, Elisabeth Berna, child of Aderon." The soft voice of the Goddess made her tremble.
"Do you like your quarters, Princess?" Queen Lavender asked.
Elisabeth took a deep breath and tried to smile. "Yes, my Lady. The room I was allowed to stay in is incredible."
"How do you like our city?" Suddenly, Elisabeth found herself in the heart of Avalon.
She stood abruptly and the chair she was sitting on hit the ground, but surrounding voices muffled its thump. People were laughing, bargaining, or simply talking; men and women of so many races were living together peacefully. Children were playing in the nearby oasis of greenery on the strange contraptions that swung around or spun in circles. She was stunned and bewildered by the apparent casualness of their behaviour. She saw the woman publicly scolding two men, who stood before her with lowered heads and sorry faces. Elisabeth tried to comprehend what she was seeing when she noticed an elderly couple who worked to calm down the angry woman from before. She heard the excited voice of a girl about her age, and right in front of her, Elisabeth saw a man kneeling and offering her a ring. The girl shouted 'yes!' and everyone around them started clapping and congratulating them.
"Excuse me, Miss? Are you all right?" A tall and handsome Human in black armour approached her with concern painted on his face. Then, his face brightened with a smile when he noticed the Royal Family and kneeled with reverence. "Your Highnesses!"
"It's not a dream?" Elisabeth looked at the kneeling soldier, who looked at her very surprised.
"No, Miss. It is not," he replied slowly, and then everything vanished.
She was once again standing in the Palace Gardens, surrounded by the sounds of birds and flowing water. The Royal Family was looking at her with soft smiles and heartwarming compassion. But the King stood right before her with an extended hand.
"Would you like to bring such a world back to Berna?"
At that moment, Elisabeth bit her lip and did everything that was in her power to help the spark of rebellion grow inside her soul. But the fire she hoped to sustain transformed into a roaring inferno the moment she accepted King's hand. The years of humiliation, shackles that bound her to the will of her father, and fear of punishment burned into ashes. She found the new strength and resolve she had previously lacked.
"Yes," she replied and tightened her grip.