Present day

The duke and duchess were getting ready for the surprise visit of empress Esmeralda. The duke however already knew the purpose, she needed help of the ivory tower mages, established under the duke. The ivory tower was courtesy of Ruben who, before establishing the tower roamed the continent and had found seven trustful students to whom he had taught some of his advanced magic techniques, that had made them the most capable mages in Frontera kingdom. However, when compared to their master Ruben they severely lacked in ability. The truth about Ruben being a spirit was hidden from everyone but hades and the duke. The seven mages were in turn acting as teachers to chosen candidates who served the ivory tower and their teachers. The grandmaster of the tower was an old fellow named ‘Ruben’ who was the spirit in disguise. He would appear to the duke and hades as a young valet. Ruben was a solid information gatherer and helped the duke in uplifting the duchy, and even the current situation was a outcome planned by the three of them; hades, Ruben and duke lionheart.

A small party with one carriage, bearing the royal emblem of Frontera surrounded by royal knights in front and back came to the castle. They were granted access without halt on the duke’s order. The troops stopped before the castle, the royal knight had a shining yellow armor and a bright red cape, all of them fashioned a long spear. Through the carriage then the empress stepped out. She was greeted by beretta. Beretta after many years was dressed as a proper noble, she wore bright pink dress that was covered in transparent white cloth. Then the duchess told the empress “My queen the duke awaits you in the hall” she bowed to reveal a red carpet already spread and on both side of it stood all servants and soldiers of the castle. They were in line which would directly lead to the courtroom where the duke was sitting. The empress walked very fast towards the duke’s direction and two of her bodyguards followed closely, while others remained behind. Throughout the whole ordeal beretta remained bowed. She didn’t move from the spot she greeted the empress at. The empress hurriedly entered the courtroom and was greeted by the duke along with Berta the head maid.

Duke was seeing empress after a very long time; last he laid eyes on her was when she was born and was just a baby. She was born a year before hades, the woman she look now was very different. She wore a tight bright white shirt, with yellow laces running vertically, below her neck she had fashioned a bright yellow scarf, her shirt and her brown pants were skin tight. Her chest was unnaturally big; all empress’s clothes had to be refitted to accommodate her breasts. Even though they were big, they weren’t saggy at all, instead they were round and firm. She had an athletic built and a bright face. She had fashioned her hair shorter; only till her neck, her hair were maroon red in colour and she had very sharp eyes. Her irises were the same color as her hair. She wore black shoes whose socks almost came to her calves. A black strap extended from those and was attached to her belt. She had a longsword with her with golden handle and intricate craftsmanship was done where the handle divided to accommodate the blade. The empress wasn’t considered a very beautiful l woman due to her toned athletic body and rough lifestyle but since she was living a lifestyle of a knight before becoming the ruler, her body had become different than other women who let go of tedious work and decided to remain a household manager. Empress Esmeralda however was very comfortable around female knights who had a same body type like hers, some even had more accentuated muscles than men.

“Duke lionheart, I am here to request you to give me the command of your mages” empress said in a authoritative tone.

“Very well” the duke answered calmly. Empress Esmerelda was wearing a confused look before the duke.

“To repel the advance of schwarz on Frontera yes” the duke’s tone was that of a very uninterested old man.

“Sir lionheart, I know you are very bitter towards the royal family, but this matter concern’s the kingdom and its sovereignty” the empress had bowed down to the duke.

The duke stood up and said in a warm tone “such posture doesn’t suit you empress, please raise your head, the ruler of nation shouldn’t bow down to anyone, helping you is my duty”

The empress was surprised by his tone, she wondered why he was being kind now. The empress had sent an envoy before to the lionheart duchy making the same request, but he came back and told how he was humiliated by the mages and refused aid, the mages had told him they wouldn’t help the royal family for they abandoned the lionheart region. Knowing this empress was highly surprised by the tone and easy acceptance of her request.

“But then why did you refuse before” the empress was confused.

“Do you know who you sent for the request before empress?” the duke questioned with a very sharp expression on his face.

“The nephew of duke Carlright came to lionheart didn’t he” the empress answered.

“Yes, and I read your request and directed him to the tower, but the envoy had turned your letter of respectful request into a harsh and insulting command. He insulted the tower’s elder council and ordered them to leave all their affairs to join the frontline.”

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Hearing this the empress was furious, Carlright was closest noble to the royal family but in recent years had become a pain. He also had the largest noble faction in his support causing trouble for the royal Frontera family. The empress knew abut the kingdom’s treatment of lionheart duchy and was in no place to order them to do anything and therefore the letter was a request and not a command. Hearing this greatly troubled the empress, the truth was even if lionheart was lying she still needed the duke’s help to win the imminent war, so she had no choice but to believe him on the matter.

“Sir lionheart, if there is anything you want, please tell me, we will do everything in our power to satisfy you” the empress wanted the lionheart to side with her to improve her standing in the kingdom. Years before lionheart had nothing to give but taxes, but now with ivory tower under its command lionheart duchy was too precious to be lost.

“There indeed is your majesty….” after a long pause duke spoke “I want a lionheart on the royal kingdom, so marry my son”

“Duke!!!” the empress shouted. She was no stranger to political marriage, before she was declared king there were no proposals for her, except one from lionheart, after she ascended to the throne many nobles came to her with proposition of marriage, but they wanted their son to become the king. Their greed was visible to empress clearly further no noble had ever expressed interest in her; many have told her she was not even a woman, so the Esmeralda thought of herself as a better knight than a lady and had grown insecure about herself. However, she was unaware of her beauty in the eyes of female fellow knights who complimented her and commoner who she didn’t interact with. Many commoner farming women were also having body like hers but since she never interacted with them and only with nobles ‘who had a warped sense of beauty’ she had come to believe she was not a very attractive lady. The empress thought this was just the duke’s way of getting back at the kingdom for ignoring his region not knowing in reality it was a request put up by duke’s son hades.

“Don’t worry empress, my son though your husband will remain second to you, I said I want a lionheart on the throne, doesn’t have to be hades, I am good if it’s my grandson.”

“So, you are saying, that even after marriage I would be allowed to discharge all emperor’s duties, duke” the empress said in a confused manner. The duke only smiled in approval. The empress never had such proposition of marriage, to retain authority completely even after marriage further she would be aligned with lionheart and bound the duchy to her and control the ivory tower. She then thought, ‘it's different than other noble’s proposals, I can continue my duties like the emperor and retain authority, would hades be okay with that, it’s very advantageous proposition too, duke wants a lionheart on the throne to get back at Frontera royal family and while mine and hades’ child will be a lionheart I can always inculcate the values of Frontera family in him. Though the name Frontera would be lost, our values and legacy could live in our child, the duke could get what he wants, and I could have what I want.’ After careful analysis of the proposal the empress faced the duke and said, “very well duke, the child between me and hades would become the next king, I will marry him if we win this war today.”

There was a big smile on the duke’s face and then he said, “then please proceed to battlefield your majesty, the red mages have already joined the war, I will follow shortly.”

The empress was heavily surprised at this revelation, it meant that the duke had already anticipated her visit and everything that would follow. Then she thought ‘its alright, compared to any noble’s proposal this one certainly was the most advantageous and further he proposed it during the war, all nobles had retracted their proposals after the war started thinking this was the end of the kingdom, we had made a grave mistake in understanding lionheart but I will not make same mistakes as my predecessors’. The empress along with then royal guard then proceeded to battle.

The duke on the other hand went behind the castle to find his son hades. Hades was now seventeen years old and soon would become eighteen, he was tall and well-built and lean. The white clothes he was wearing were not on him, more like they turned black. Only the fur of his cape was white, and from his shadow there was a snake coming out, the snake was black and had purple lines emanating from it, the snake like projection had sharp tooths but no eyes. They had grabbed a man invertly and holding him up in air, the duke then said, “prepare for your marriage with empress as soon as we absorb his kingdom.”

“I surrender please” the man was bleeding and crying and pleading to be let go.

“I don’t remember asking you anything,” said hades and slapped the man with a backhand.

“My army will retreat please” the man pleaded.

The duke then walked towards the man bent down and said, “I don’t want your retreat or surrender; I want your kingdom... ‘whole’.

The emphasis on word whole froze the man for he was the king of schwarz and was kidnapped and bought to duchy by a big black raven in his sleep after which he had to endure the torcher of hades.

“Hey king, remember why you invaded Frontera?” the king saw a demonic smile on hades and duke’s face and tried to recall but couldn’t understand why he made the step.

“Because… because” the king of schwarz in a panic. Then he saw the same raven flying above, it descended down to transform into a man who rose from a black flame. It was Ruben.

“We hypnotized you..... 'fool'; it took a long arduous month to push you to invade but we did, we also smuggled many magic bombs in your territory for a month and soon they will blow up” said hades, with the same demonic smile on his face.

“It’s all for a Nobel cause so don’t fret king schwarz,” said the duke. “Your role is now done, your life is being sacrificed in service of Frontera, bye schwarz”.

Just like that the war happening now was nothing but a showpiece for the king was already dead. The duke then proceeded to battle, while castle started making wedding preparations for marriage of hades and empress ‘Esmerelda’.