As the hot air blew through the window, Empress Matilda looked at the night sky. Her eyes were reddened and tired of tears but she couldn't let herself give in to the blissfulness of dreams. Darius died, and with him, a part of her heart died as well. Despite the traditions, Darius' body was here, in the Sleeping Dungeon, preserved by the mysterious powers of the Dungeon. It was protected by the Metakan Royal Guards detachment but they weren’t necessary. The entire Dungeon was awake and barring entrance to anyone who might have ill intentions. Vettalia and Guad were on their way but it would take them three more days to reach this place. From what she heard, the Arcadians were coming as well. She was worried about the future, but not hers or even her children’s, because Leonard and Cassmira were safe in Arcadia. Matilda was worried about the Empire that was her home. Its future was uncertain...
The news about the death of Emperor Darius was spreading among the nobles and the army like a firestorm. There was no second-guessing or backing out. The country was torn in almost equal halves; for the first time in the history of the succession wars, neither side was stronger than the other. But this time, the entirety of the Navy was excluded from both sides. As if Vettalia and Guad had done that on purpose. All ships were under the control of Matilda and she had sent them to guard the borders. She had specifically targeted the southern reaches of the Empire where the most troublesome and vocal noblesse resided. Before his death, Darius envied Theon for his iron grip over his entire country and the unchallenged authority that allowed him to reign truly over Arcadia. The late Emperor of Metaka was tired of the constant squabble between Metakan nobles and their petty games but there was little he could do as long as they quarrelled within the confines of law.
For generations, the Empire was strongly dependent on the grain belt of the southern counties. Their crops allowed a disproportionate growth in power, spreading their influences across Metaka. These Granary Masters of the Empire grew arrogant and proud, forgetting that they only had their power because of droughts. Most people believed that the drought started under the reign of Darius’ father, Charles VI, but that wasn't true. Under his rule, Metaka's wells finally depleted all the underground water. The drought had lasted for the last four hundred years with each century being more severe than the previous one.
She took a deep breath and looked at the starry sky. She prayed for the success of Admiral Dennis Tu'sarr. The calamity that struck Iceleon could save the dried-out lands of Metaka. She had hoped Darius would live to see if his most loyal Admiral succeeded but his death came too soon. She couldn't lie to herself that Darius’ passing was unexpected...
"How can I protect your legacy, Darius?" She whispered, mindful of the unthinkable rumours spreading across the Empire.
She shuddered, afraid of those treacherous nobles. No one else would dare to spread lies about the Emperor. The content of their lies wasn't important but the fact that someone even dared to spread falsehoods meant it was a direct attack on the Royal Family. She had to trust Vettalia and Guad to put an end to such insolence even as they had already made their first moves. The entire north and west of Metaka, which was highly militarised, pledged their loyalty to Guad. However, the most populated coast spoke in favour of Vettalia. Normally, southern counties would back the strongest candidate, but this time they claimed to remain neutral in the best interest of Metaka. Only the central region containing the capital city of Yranta had the right to proclaim neutrality. This outrageous behaviour by the southern regions wasn't received warmly by the rest of the Empire. The armies of Vettalia and Guad marched toward each other while their commanders called upon the southern nobles to join their ranks. Whoever refused, was declared a traitor and their lands were assailed.
Matilda couldn't discern any new news from the last few days. She commanded the Navy to steer clear of any involvement and it only guarded the borders. The most recent developments were puzzling but she wasn't going to step in. Especially considering, she was sure that those very nobles who were playing neutral were responsible for slandering Darius. Lesser southern nobles were quick to abandon their masters knowing there was going to be punishment for anyone who defied the future Emperor. To Matilda's shock, Vettalia's forces were moving much quicker but it was Guad's army that, most brutally, put down rebellious nobles. The two Crown Siblings were en route to the Sleeping Dungeon, leaving the armies in motion according to Metakan traditions. The siblings had to attend their father's funeral before they officially declared war. As she loathed that tradition, she knew that it was necessary for Metaka’s continued prosperity even amid the drought crisis that plagued the Empire.
A sudden commotion outside the door to her bedroom surprised her. The hushed voices argued about something and she barely understood them. Since no one had died so far, she reasoned that Praetorians lent to protect her by Theon, were not alarmed. After a heated discussion, the respectful knock cut any remaining discussion. Since she was still wearing her dress, Matilda simply fixed her hair and raised her voice.
"Come in!"
The door opened, letting in one of the Praetorians who had a bright lamp in his hands, as well as, a Navy officer. The officer was wearing the insignia of the First Fleet which slightly worried her. The young man kneeled and lowered his head.
"My Lady! I was ordered to bring you the news about the great success of Admiral Dennis Tu'sarr!" His voice was incredibly joyous and he raised a scroll she had not recognised. "I'm Captain Harry Renner, my Lady!"
After one of her Guards checked it, she was handed the scroll. With each line, her confusion grew until her eyes reached the end of the scroll where she saw four signatures. The signature of Theon Avalon was always a good indication. The signature of Theresa Iceleon surprised her a little but the authentic Royal Seal of Iceleon was more than convincing. Theresa must have taken over the throne which, also, was a good sign, at least in Matilda's book. But, the two other signatures were the most troublesome to believe: Vettalia's and Guad's signatures were in one line, validated by their personal seals and connected by the Royal Seal of Metaka. An alliance between the three countries had become a reality. Tears of relief and hope welled up in her eyes. As she raised her softly smiling face, she noticed a lot more scrolls waiting in the patient hands of the Praetorian. The Captain was looking at the scrolls as if he couldn't wait for her to pick one. She took one at random and heard him take a deep breath.
"It's the detailed deal between Arcadia and Metaka about the transfer of critical knowledge, my Lady!" He erupted with a borderline excited chatter. "In exchange for Telepathy and Gravity Magic, Arcadians promised to sell us the magitech called radio! It's the long-range, instantaneous communication system, my Lady!"
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"Oh, you clever bastard..." She smiled warmly as she read the trade deal. "I was on the bridge of Dauntless and didn't realise they had something like that! This will give us an unimaginable advantage."
She rolled back the scroll and took another. Captain Harry took another deep breath and she smiled, grateful for the child-like excitement of the hardened sailor.
"This one is much more important, my Lady! It's a joint construction project between all three nations, aimed at building a dam that would create a lake that would be a source of water for Metaka and Iceleon..."
Matilda felt her legs giving up under her so she took a step back and sat on the edge of her bed. She felt her tears rolling as she covered her lips. She was still reading as she couldn't let go of the scroll, consuming its content despite tears of happiness clouding her vision.
"My Lady?" The troubled and soft voice of Harry Renner sounded distant. "Are you all right, my Empress?"
"Yes, Captain. Thank you." She genuinely smiled for the first time since Darius died. "I just can't believe it's not a dream."
"The Admiral couldn't sleep at all before he negotiated that deal. We all were excited!" He grinned and I couldn't blame him for that smile. Some news that was finally great for Metaka. "It was agreed that the dam will be named after Emperor Darius, my Lady. Darius' Dam. Theresa Iceleon wanted to name the planned reservoir Lake Hope."
"Darius' Dam upon Lake Hope..." She said each word with softness and love. "What a great monument, Captain."
"Indeed, my Lady." He proudly admitted with a nostalgic gaze. But he shook his head and focused on the moment. "Admiral Tu'sarr took the liberty of giving orders in your name, my Lady. He is rounding up all Metakan prisoners destined to serve their sentences in the friendly Dungeons and is commanding them to dig the stone material required to build the dam. He also sent priority requests to Lord Guad and Lady Vettalia to hand over every single Earth Mage that joined the succession war effort. The Engineers, Architects, and Masons's Guilds were ordered to join the construction effort in their earnest as well. I hope you don't mind, my Lady, but we..."
"Are you out of your mind?!" She focused her shocked gaze on his suddenly scared facial expression. "I would be furious if he hadn't given those orders! We don't have a moment to waste!"
"Thank you for your support, my Lady!" The man took a deep, relaxed breath.
"We have much to do and a lot of..." Her eyes went wide as something clicked in her mind. She stood up in a hurry and walked to her desk. She wasn't a brilliant strategist or crafty politician but she was a competent Empress. Her eyes went wide. "They knew it..." She whispered as her hands travelled across the map of Metaka she used to mark the location of the ships and armies loyal only to her as the rightful regent of Metaka. "The entire logistics core was stationed near Yranta. In the closed quarries of Ylt! They knew..."
"My Lady?" The Captain's concerned voice made her look at him.
"Vettalia and Guad knew, Captain! What is going on here?" She stared into the darkness of the night for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh. "No matter."
She scribbled a short authorization and tossed it towards the Captain, who awkwardly caught it without raising from his knees. She was already writing another order and sealing it with her seal.
"I authorise you to use all the manpower and resources required for the construction effort. I appoint Admiral Dennis Tu'sarr as the Royal Inspector for this project; he can demand any help, materials, and funding as he sees fit!"
"It will be as you wish!" The Captain nodded. "The one last thing is... Confidential, my Lady."
She weighed her options for a brief moment.
"You can speak, Captain. My Guards will keep everything secret."
"Lord Theon Avalon and his wives along with Lady Theresa and her fiancée, Lord Victor, will be arriving in two days at Sleeping Dungeon." He, then, added nervously, "Along with Lady Cassmira and Lord Leonard."
"I..." She lowered her head. What is he thinking?! Right now, Cassmira and Leonard would be at their most vulnerable.
"They will be arriving in force. There wasn’t anything that we could say to protest but we must trust they are earnest in their peacefulness." He awkwardly tried to explain himself.
"In force?" Matilda looked at him.
"Three Arcadian ships: HMS Dauntless, HMS Scimitar, and HMS Gladius with their full crews and the battalion of Praetorians." He said, swallowing hard. "I was instructed to inform you that Lord Leonard will be the Lord Governor of the eastern province of Arcadia - directly bordering Metaka."
"What about Cassmira?" Matilda asked silently, happy with Leonard's appointment.
"Official Fiancé of Emperor Theon Avalon. She... She has, also, not denounced her claims as an inheritor of our throne..."
"Oh?" Matilda flatly smiled.
"It turns out that was part of the last will of Emperor Darius, my Lady. That is everything I was told. Admiral Tu'sarr seemed more peeved about that but his arrival with the Arcadians and Iceleonians limit what we can fully discuss." The Captain nervously clenched his hands on the scroll in his hands.
"There is nothing to worry about, Captain." She smiled. "If all the Empresses of Arcadia are coming, I'm surprised that Theon was so modest with the size of the army he brought with him."
"Ummm... My Lady?" The Captain was shocked with her casual-sounding remark.
"The last time one of the Empresses traveled outside Avalon, she was protected by an army capable of conquering our entire country." She laughed. "I'm sure you were aware of Empress Aoi Sora va'Theon’s peace conference."
"With all due respect, but wasn’t that army amassed to destroy the forces of the Union?" The incredulous voice and shocked face of the Captain were amusing.
"Of course not!" She laughed. "If Theon wanted to destroy them, he could send the First Fleet of Arcadia. They would massacre the Union before they even knew they were in danger."
Captain Renner parted his lips as if he wanted to protest but, just a moment later, he closed them. "You are right, my Lady... I never thought about it that way."
"Let's prepare for the arrival of our friends." She smiled warmly as her hand affectionately patted the scroll proclaiming the alliance between Metaka, Iceleon, and Arcadia. "Vettalia and Guad will be arriving soon as well. We should prepare for their official declaration of war..."