“Sylvia.”

Sylvia groaned in answer. She was lying in a soft bed. She looked around in bewilderment. She was in an old stone building of some sort. The walls were made out of huge slabs of chiselled rock. A thick window was set into one of the walls, but nothing was visible through it. There were no houses or trees, nothing to give her a hint about her whereabouts, just clouds. Beside the window stood Theodorus. He was in the shadows, but not in hiding.

“Good morning.”

“Where is Afi?”, Sylvia asked. As soon as the thought had manifested, she noticed something most unsettling. She could not feel him. It was not merely a sense of distance. She could not sense Afi at all. Just how far away was he? She placed a hand over her chest. She tried to connect to him, to hear his breathing. There was nothing. “Where is Afi?”, she repeated.

Theodorus shook his head.

“What do you mean? Where is he?”, Sylvia demanded.

“He died.”

Letting her head fall back against the pillow, Sylvia closed her eyes. So he did. It was not just a bad dream. It was all real. “I am in the castle”, she realised.

“Correct.”

Sylvia felt strangely barren. Taking a slow breath, she frowned. It was not just Afi who was gone. The sensation of their connection was missing, yes, but there was something else. She felt different. The last thing she remembered was leaning over Afi, seeing his eyes close for the last time. Then cold hands and fear. No, not fear. Despair. She opened her eyes again. Looking at Theodorus, she swallowed hard. Taking another slow breath and noticing how light her chest felt, she realised that it was true. “It was the last straw.”

“Yes”, Theodorus confirmed.

Sylvia sighed. She stared at the high ceiling. Her mind raced. She had shattered after all. It was over. She had lost. Her soul lay in shards inside her chest. Even knowing that Afi had died, and that it was her fault, she did not feel compelled to cry about it. She just lay there, numb. “I thought it would hurt more”, she finally said.

“It does not hurt that much, does it?”, Theodorus agreed. “Which sort of makes it worse.”

“It does”, Sylvia nodded. She turned her head to look at Theodorus. “Can you see it?”

“Sort of. Your aura is still strong, but it is different. It is more forceful, less lambent.” Seeing Sylvia's blank expression, Theodorus offered softly, “Not that it matters. You are radiant in all other ways.”

“Thanks”, Sylvia said flatly.

“Just know that I am here to talk, if you ever want to.”

“What could there possibly be to say?”, Sylvia questioned.

Theodorus nodded solemnly.

They shared the silence for a while. Eventually, Theodorus slapped a grin onto his face. “It is not all bad. You should be able to sense magic better now.”

“I suppose I will learn to navigate it in time”, Sylvia agreed. “Still, I did try to avoid this. In the end I only have myself to blame.”

“How do you figure that?”

Sylvia shook her head. “It does not matter.” Sighing deeply, she sat up and ran a hand through her hair. “Help me up, would you?”

Theodorus came to her side and offered her a hand. Getting onto her feet, Sylvia noticed that she was not injured at all. She was just exhausted. She walked over to a mirror and leaned in close, meeting her own eyes. They were cloudy. She was hidden behind a swirling mist of nothing. Theodorus appeared behind her and stroked a hand over her back.

“Sylvia. There is something you should know. A shattered soul can escape. Pieces can go missing. It does not require soul bending once the shards are small enough. They can escape on their own, especially when using magic. So please be careful.”

“Yea. I know that already”, Sylvia said. She straightened her back and looked around. “Clothes?”

Theodorus motioned to a long dress of rich blue cloth. “A gift from Guld, altered by local seamstresses. You are on the council. And not just that, you are the king’s closest advisor, his right hand woman. Congratulations.”

Picking the dress up, Sylvia was surprised just how heavy it was. She rubbed the fabric between her fingers, feeling the fine texture. “Where is Yri? Una? Everyone?”, she asked.

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“They are okay. Some injuries here and there, but no further deaths in the inner circle. Yri is the high constable, of course. Una is a general. Bothilder too. Dana is on the council as well. Ritva refused to join and plans to head home with Kejll and Even. I am still trying to talk them out of it. I think I have a pretty good idea how to convince them.”

“Do not bring up Frida”, Sylvia warned.

“That would complicate things”, Theodorus argued.

“I am serious”, Sylvia said firmly.

“Fine. Your wish is my command.”

“It literally is now”, Sylvia teased.

“True”, Theodorus conceded. “On that note, I owe you a great debt. I offer you an oath, but I can only give one with exceptions.”

“Exceptions?”, Sylvia wondered.

“I will never do anything to harm Oskar. Not even for you.”

“Of course”, Sylvia nodded.

“So you will accept my oath?”, Theodorus asked.

“I will think about it.”

“Be aware that I am not the only one asking. Mellory Balders wishes to give her oath to you.”

“Mellory? Who is that?”

“Ouch”, Theodorus teased. “She served under you at Holms Fäste.”

“Right, I remember. She helped me make the sticky fire. Why would she want to offer an oath to me?”, Sylvia wondered.

“When everyone was busy swapping stories after the fight, she learned that you saved Balder’s life back in Holms Fäste. Honour dictates she pass the oath on. She owes it to her late liege.” Theodorus shrugged. “I am mostly surprised that she did not know about it before. What reason might Balder have had to keep it from her?”

“I assume you have a theory”, Sylvia prompted.

“I figured Balder may not have wanted Mellory to feel compelled to pass the oath on.”

Sylvia hummed in understanding. “I will keep that in mind too.”

She dressed and pulled her hair free from under the neckline of the heavy dress. She would have to cut it again.

Theodorus held out a hand, presenting Sylvia’s silver necklace to her. Taking it, Sylvia hugged the pendant to her chest. She could feel it now, the flutter of magic in the crystal. It was full of warm memories. Pulling the chain around her neck, she hid the pendant under her dress and smiled a little. “Thank you.”

“Do not thank me yet.” Theodorus pulled a slender belt around her mid and tied her dagger and the whispered knife to it. Then, he pulled the enchanted ring from his finger and slid it onto hers. “There. Now you can thank me.”

Sylvia huffed in amusement. “What about my old clothes?”

“They are being washed and repaired. They will be delivered to your chambers when ready.”

“Can you make sure that the boots make it back to me? They are important to me.”

Theodorus nodded dutifully. “We should go now. We are expected to attend the ceremony.”

Sylvia sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

“You look great”, Theodorus encouraged.

“Thanks”, Sylvia responded unenthusiastically.

Theodorus came close, looking down at her and letting his hands settle on her shoulders. “Good luck today.”

“I doubt this has much to do with luck”, Sylvia protested.

“True enough.” Theodorus leaned in and whispered. “I love you.”

“I know”, Sylvia stated.

Theodorus leaned in, kissed her softly on the cheek, and then took a respectful step back. “I am looking forward to working with you, Councillor.”

Sylvia shook her head. “You are impossible.”

Theodorus smirked. He bowed low and motioned toward the door.

Oskar marvelled at the silky texture of his new clothes. He turned to the standing mirror, swaying and inspecting the way the robes swirled around him. It was as though they were moved by an unseen wind, reserved for his splendour alone. And the detail work was astonishing. Embroidery was covering huge areas of each layer, and tiny crystals had been stitched on along the collar. Oskar was used to fine dress, but the clothes Guld had sent felt like a tad too much. He felt out of place in all this red and blue, but it would be an insult to abstain.

Tone came to him with the crown in hand. Carefully, he placed the golden circle on Oskar’s head. He adjusted it a little, making sure the largest crystal was facing to the front, and then smiled. “My King.”

Oskar’s face fell. “I am sorry I cannot do right by you.”

“What are you talking about? I am so proud of you.”

“I just wish I could take a husband”, Oskar said.

Tone shook his head. “I am already married. You know that.”

“You still consider yourself to be?”

“Always”, Tone lied. Coming closer, he rested a hand on Oskar’s cheek. “I love you. I do not care who you marry. I love you. Never doubt that. Never worry about that.”

Oskar leaned into the touch, resting his head in Tone’s warm hand and closing his eyes for the space of a slow breath. Exhaling, he reopened his eyes, peering at Tone. He was in awe at this man, this soft and wise man. Sighing again, he lifted his head. It felt so much heavier to carry after having rested in those sure hands. Oskar’s soul reached for Tone, but he turned away. Tone was right, as usual. Oskar was hardly alone in choosing a spouse with duty, rather than love, in mind. Tone would still be right there at his side, because Tone’s loyalty was not about duty, but about love. Enduring the stinging in his chest, Oskar strode out of his chambers.

Incense was burning in every corridor, to mask the metallic smell still lingering in the floorboards. A fragrance of sage and lavender filled the cavernous hallways. It was almost grotesque how quickly corpses could be disposed of and blood could be covered up. The locals were happy to help, and welcomed Oskar with open arms. Everyone he had met so far treated him as though he had been a king for years. It was a little disorienting.

Oskar had to remind himself which corridor was which, but found his way downstairs, and to the hall where they had fought Gramr just two days earlier.

Outside the throne room, Yri stood waiting. Most of her face was covered in bandages, but she stood as proud and tall as ever. Around her neck hung a short silver necklace with rubies embedded at even intervals. The band fit her perfectly, and the rubies matched her hair. It seemed made just for her.

“There you are. Aulikki is waiting already.”

Tone exchanged a meaning look with Oskar and walked into the hall before him.

“This is where it truly begins. Do not disappoint me, Little King”, Yri teased before walking into the hall as well.

Oskar took a deep breath and straightened his back. In full regalia, the King of Sev stepped into the throne room.