The crown weighed heavily upon her head. It felt cold. A cold symbol to make cold decisions under. The bronze throne she sat on had jade gems encrusted into the arms. They felt uncomfortable and jutted into her forest green sleeves. The mural of the bear of Greenfire roared down above her, painted green flames reaching around the pillars that held the throne room together. No one occupied the council table. Ana, the Duke and Duchess, Elizabeth Woodard, Julian Reeve, Dorian…

All of them were gone, just like her father and mother were.

The throne room’s silence was broken as the new Sheriff of the City Watch opened the great chamber doors. Athena looked like an altogether different person in her jade green armour. Her changed appearance went beyond the suit. Her eyes weren’t dark around the circles and heavy with bags. Her once naturally ruffled hair was braided, and her nails were painted a deep shade of black. She still bore the cuts and bruises left by Dorian’s assassins, but she wore them proudly, like badges of honour. Her golden Sheriff’s badge glinted as she bowed in front of the new Queen.

“There’s no one else here,” Rosamund said in confusion.

“It’s the custom, Your Highness.” Athena was still bowing as she spoke.

Rosamund hated people bowing for her, hated being called ‘Your Highness’. She scratched her arm and picked at the throne’s embedded gems. Each jade gem already bored her scratch marks. She couldn’t stop it. She always scratched when she was nervous. Her father would have disapproved. Anastasia would have caned her. They weren’t there to tell her what to do anymore. No one was here to guide her anymore.

She arose from the throne and approached the open window. The Jade Gardens blossomed into a verdant glow under the rising sun. The hedge maze swirled around the bear statue in the centre. Infront of the maze, the platform and stake the Inferno erected had since been dismantled. All that remained was a brown patch of burnt away grass. Every time Rosamund looked out at it, she saw her family burning.

“I don’t want the crown, Athena,” Rosamund said. She could feel cold tears crawling down her cheeks. She had tried not to weep. Queens don’t weep. She couldn’t help herself. “I don’t like what it does to people.”

She felt Athena’s hand on her shoulder. “You won’t be like your father.”

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“How do you know that?” she turned around and snapped. “"How do you know I won't end up like my father, like Nerva, or Dorian!"

"Dorian didn't want change or even power,” the Sheriff said. “He was just an envious and bitter man out for revenge." When Rosamund did not answer, the Sheriff sighed. “Your Highness,” Athena’s voice was pained and sombre. She put her hands on the Queen’s arms. “Please look at me.”

Rosamund hated looking people in the eyes. Nevertheless, she obliged. She would do it for Athena. It was the least she could do after everything the Deputy-turned-Sheriff had done for her. Athena could have fled the city after discovering her father’s dark deeds, left Rosamund for dead. She didn’t. She stayed. She was there for her. She looked up and met her eyes. Her face was healthy and glowing, but her eyes were filled with sadness.

“Rosamund, you don’t have a choice.”

Rosamund didn’t understand, and her mute response made that clear to the Sheriff. “If you don’t hold the throne, then someone else will. Someone worse.” She held the Queen close to her jade breastplate. Rosamund did not know whether she was meant to reciprocate or not. Athena was not one for physical affection, which threw the Queen wildly off guard. She stood with her arms by her sides as the Sheriff held her. She then gently moved Rosamund back and locked eyes with her. "You won't be able to change anything,” Athena said bluntly. “There are too many lords currently standing outside the throne room awaiting your attendance that will see to that. All you and I can do is try to stop the dam from breaking."

The crown was already starting to weigh heavily upon her head. She broke away from Athena’s embrace and returned to staring outside the marble arched window. The leaves in the palace gardens had become dimmer under the darkening grey sky. Before she could comprehend, there was a boom from above and rain littered down. The sounds of the heavy shower outside soothed her, albeit temporarily. She watched the rain for a long time whilst Athena stood behind her.

“I still need to find and unmask that blue ninja,” Athena pondered aloud, attempting to break the silence.

“Leave him,” Rosamund said. She turned to face the Sheriff as she corrected the placement of the crown on her head. It kept sliding to one side, not built for a foolish child like her to don. “He helped save the Shards.”

“But Your Highness,” Athena began to object, “that’s not the point-”

“I said leave him!” she commanded.

Athena fell silent. “As you wish,” she said in that same begrudging tone she had used when talking to the other Royalists. She bowed stiffly and took her leave. Rosamund turned to watch the rain again as she heard the Sheriff’s footsteps become fainter and fainter.

She pondered what had become of Hideo. She had not seen him, the true him, since he helped her escape through the catacombs. There were still reports of a figure in black and sapphire armour leaping from the rooftops at night, even after the chaos that erupted in the Shards. Hideo might have been gone, but that strange creature of the night was still in the city. He’s alone out there, she thought, and so am I.