Princess Erimaya and Hekate laugh together as they catch up while everyone is gathered for breakfast. It’s one of the few times Hekate sits in her own seat, next to Erimaya, and Ryuogriar, Reignleif, and Geirahoel have crowded around Daniel, taking the chance to try to feed him their cooking. Geirahoel gave herself a head start by practicing cooking on her own, but all three of them have tried their best, and they can make edible meals.
“... and then we’ll begin exporting the meat. I have no doubt people all over the world will love it!”
“Isn’t it a lot of work?” asks Erimaya as Hekate explains the livestock program the Citadel is starting.
“It is! But, that’s why it’ll be more expensive. I have no doubt we’ll have customers. After all, it’s supposed to make the meat taste even better!” Hekate cups her cheeks, drooling a little.
“I-I hope I’ll have the opportunity to try it!”
Wenlianna asks, “Daniel, is… Princess Erimaya…?”
“She’ll be staying with us for the foreseeable future. She believes she’s in inordinate danger in Mornistae, including from the consequences of Rikuto’s actions.”
Erimaya nods, distracted briefly from her conversation with Hekate. “Yes. Please take care of me. I promise I’ll carry my own weight, and I’ll absolutely please our Darling Daniel.”
“Keep dreaming, Princess,” retorts Daniel dryly.
The young princess is undeterred, standing up as she proudly stands with her hand on her chest. “I too, like Lady Wenlianna, wish to ensure that the Kingdom of Mornistae allies itself with the Fievegal, and if they refuse to negotiate, we’ll use me as a hostage.”
Treia asks dryly, “‘We’? You sound pretty excited to be a hostage.”
Erimaya nods too proudly for the situation. “Mm-hmm! I’m happy to help my friends and my husband!”
“Oh? Then, can we marry you off for a political alliance?” jokes Daniel.
She doesn’t gasp playfully or whine. Instead, her expression darkens, and Daniel is surprised. He quickly adds, “Forget I said that, sorry.”
She is quiet for another moment, but she perks up, resuming her positive energy. “Right! So, I want seven children, and if you’ll allow it, I’d like to be a school teacher. I-I’ll still maintain my wifely duties, though.” She grins with a sunbeam-like smile.
Daniel sighs. “Ask Hekate the rules, Erimaya. If you’ll all excuse me, I have to go check on the manufacturing teams.” Daniel excuses himself, and Choul follows.
Erimaya asks softly, “Did… I upset him?”
“Nah,” replies Hekate dismissively. “Daniel gets like that when he doesn’t want to admit his true feelings.”
“He’s not shy at other times,” replies Aoloan. “But he does sometimes get the strangest urge to run away.”
“It’s when he feels overwhelmed,” replies Reignleif. She is holding Ryuogriar’s forearm, having stopped the senior dragon from following Daniel. “Daniel spent much of his life alone.”
“Oh… I’m sorry…” apologizes Erimaya.
Reignleif shakes her head. “You did nothing wrong. Daniel just has to think of answers to deflect you with.”
Ryuogriar scoffs, and the others chuckle.
Meanwhile, Daniel and Choul use the transport station to travel to the hangar, rather than the manufacturing floor. Choul asks, “My Liege?”
“I lied, Choul. Just needed to get away.”
“Because Erimaya is too young?”
“Yes. In my world, kids her age should be worrying about playing and going to school, not… ugh… Adult things. Hekate’s the same way. Truth be told, I’m happy Erimaya is here for Hekate, but, I also don’t want to upset her when I reject her.”
“Can you not do as you do with lady Hekate and promise a future, Sire?”
“No. Hekate would have had no one at all if I hadn’t helped her and stayed with her. She might be alright now, but I also owe my life to her. A few times over. Erimaya is different. She has a family and a kingdom to return to. It’d be irresponsible for me to indulge her fantasies when she has far more options.”
“I see.”
They walk a little further, and Choul asks, “Forgive me for asking, Sire, since you seem to trust the lady Erimaya, but…”
“Can we trust that she’s not a spy?” asks Daniel, sensing what Choul’s main concern likely is, especially if Rikuto is preparing a weapon to counter Daniel’s worst one, which even Choul doesn’t know much about. The grey dragon nods.
“Treachery comes easily to treacherous people, my Liege. Morthybargaron was trustworthy for many decades before he wasn’t. This princess has apparently already faltered on your trust.”
Daniel nods, “That wasn’t necessarily her fault. I didn’t make it clear she shouldn’t talk about it. Even what little I told her was enough for Rikuto to piece it together, apparently. After all, it is the deadliest weapon my world ever successfully built.”
“I’m surprised you do not wield it more often to intimidate other nations into compliance, my Liege. Even with such terrible consequences, you are noble enough…”
“No. I don’t want it to come to that if we can help it. Though, admittedly, it can be argued that my world was as relatively stable as it was because the most powerful countries had them aimed at each other at all times, it only takes one actor of chaos to do something horrifying.”
“How do you plan to deal with this Rikuto, then?”
“I don’t know. But, I think keeping Erimaya here is the best course of action. I don’t intend to use her as leverage or anything, but she might be able to be the voice of reason if it comes to a standoff. She’s at least trying to stop conflict from happening. Even if she’s being irresponsible about how she does it.”
“As you said, my Liege. She is a child.”
“Very true.” After another moment, they arrive in the hangar, and they take seats in the small, secluded lounge Daniel and Choul hang out in when they escape everyone else. Daniel lounges, relaxing as he ponders his next steps. He notices Choul still sitting upright, ponderously thinking.
“What is it?”
“Well… Did you notice Princess Erimaya’s reaction when you joked about the political marriage? Apologies, but that stood out to me.”
“Yeah, I noticed too. I can’t imagine she’s too horrified by the notion, but I didn’t press. After all, it’s fairly common in the east. Though, in fairness, the family of her betrothed before I got banished tried to kill her, apparently.”
“Hmm… And she doesn’t seem particularly put off from the notion of marriage. Even to someone who already has many companions.”
“Right? So, maybe it’s something else.”
“Could it not simply be that she is infatuated with you, sire? After all, if I understood correctly, Hekate is her only real friend, whom she made through her own efforts, and you have protected the princess through various situations.”
“Yes, but it could also be a sense of misplaced obligation. She was the one who suggested the summoning that brought me and Rikuto to this world. Not that she specifically chose us, of course, but she might feel guilty about that.”
“I didn’t sense guilt in her behavior, your Grace. She was very sincere about her list of goals.”
“Maybe. But, why risk the journey all the way here? And, how did she make it here?”
“That would be me…” states Xyreko’s voice as she appears in a bow. “Apologies, Daniel. It was outside of my own expectations, but the golems I assigned to guard the Princess continued their duty. When she began her journey, she employed mercenaries to get to the sea, and then hired a ship to take her to the other side of the mountains. From there, she paid demon-kin for directions. Anyone that did try to harm her was… quietly disposed of.”
“I thought you could see everything all at the same time,” replies Daniel. “You didn’t see your golems following her all the way here?”
“No. I am still one consciousness, your Grace. I have greater abilities than I did in life, thanks to being the caretaker, but it can become extremely inefficient if I split my focus too greatly. With the automatic functions I assigned the golems, Erimaya was perfectly safe. I just didn’t realize she would do anything so brazen. Please forgive me.”
“It’s alright. Nothing to be done about that now. But, next time, please set proximity alarms on the golems or something to get your attention. I’d rather not have any more surprises.”
“As you wish, Daniel. I shall take greater precautions.”
“Your Grace, could we enlist the help of her Greatness Empress Hekate to figure out what the real reason Erimaya took such a risk?”
Daniel nods. “Yes, I suppose we can ask her. Hopefully she’ll understand that we’re not trying to betray Erimaya’s trust.”
“Yes, I believe being honest with her Greatness will be the best course of action. She will figure it out either way, I suspect.”
“You’re right.” Daniel stretches, saying, “Right? How are you feeling about beginning the invasion?”
“I shall lead with pride and honor, my Liege. Worry not for my safety, and await my victory.”
“Be wary of the archoneldwyn. We still need to interrogate the ones we captured, and I’m not keen on wasting our last revival potation on them.”
“Agreed, my Liege. I shall not fall to enemies of the Fievegal.” Choul becomes darkly serious. “I failed my beloved masters once already, and I now serve their last child and her beloved… I can not afford to fail again.”
Daniel is quiet for a moment, and he looks at Xyreko. She sighs. “Sir Choul. You and I are of one mind, though different strategies. And, while I can grasp the misunderstanding that caused you to attack my beloved master Daniel, it still irks me that he came to trust you so easily.”
Choul says nothing, and Daniel replies, “Choul could have left me to die at the hands of the archoneldwyn. He also doesn’t complain that his hands are tied in combat, and he still manages to be a massive asset.” Daniel leans forward and says seriously, “Plus, he doesn’t want to be a mistress.” Daniel sits up suddenly. He asks seriously, “You don’t, do you, Choul?”
Choul cocks his head. His horns are still regrowing and will take decades to return to the form they had when he broke them off. But he asks with a little confusion in his tone, “My Liege?”
“Answer the question, Choul.”
“No, my Liege. I would prefer not to be one of your mistresses.”
Daniel sighs in relief. “Thank you, Choul.” He chuckles, “I figured that was the case, but I wanted to be sure. Alright. I’ll leave the invasion to you on the scheduled day.”
“One last thing, your Grace. I am curious; what do you plan to do for her Greatness’s birthday?”
Daniel flinches. “That’s…”
Xyreko adds, “Her Greatness has hoped you would surprise her, your Grace. And, it’s the day before the scheduled deployment of our forces for Fort Twilight.”
Daniel thinks for a moment. “Alright. We’ve still got a few days. I’ll come up with something.”
Choul and Xyreko both nod. “Let me know if you need any assistance,” replies Xyreko.
“From me as well, my Liege,” adds Choul.
“Thanks. I’ll keep you posted.”
Daniel gives it some thought as he wonders what would be special for Hekate. He gives her whatever she wants, but her limited life experience means she doesn’t know what to want, typically. So, Daniel can usually surprise her with new recipes that he can recall from Earth. But, he’ll need to think a little more if he wants to make it especially special for the first birthday he’ll be celebrating with her.
And, with that, he has some simple ideas.
***
“You’re sure this information is accurate?” murmurs Zolorad. “The Dragon’s keep has been completely lost to us, thanks to the intruders.”
“Lord Hegemon, I apologize,” replies the advisor. “The arrival of the Harbinger of Calamity was most unexpected. However, I have received word that he is not impervious to damage. During a battle for the Citadel, the person we believe to be the Harbinger was felled in battle by two archoneldwyn warriors.”
“Archoneldwyn?” asks Zolorad in surprise. “Do we know who sent them?”
“Not at this time. Thankfully, they were able to withstand the Harbinger’s dragon-slaying magic and defeat him.”
“Where are the archoneldwyn now?”
“Unknown, Lord Hegemon. We received word of the Harbinger’s defeat through our spies within the Imperial Army.”
“And, you’re certain he has been slain?”
The advisor is quiet. “There… have been conflicting reports, Lord Hegemon. And, I don’t just mean his death. We have been receiving reports from lesser races that the Harbinger of Calamity possessed no magic of his own. This would correlate with reports of his alleged casting speed, but raises questions of his methods.”
Zolorad thinks. “And, Vaergraes?”
“We’ve confirmed that she has allied herself with the upstart Hekate. She has been assigned as a mere priestess within the upstart’s organization, but she has the upstart’s ear.”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Hekate is a child, and even if the Harbinger of Calamity survived, he is but a mere human. They believe their technological advancement will be their protection. But, this world runs on magic. And, we are the epitome of magical prowess.”
“Of course, my Lord Hegemon.”
Zolorad watches as the advisor makes her way out, and he ponders the Harbinger of Calamity. It’s possible that he was slain, but if there are conflicting reports, it’s more likely that the Harbinger is still alive. If he does possess magic, which is the only logical explanation for his power, then it’s possible that he has means to survive the attack, including the revival potations, which the Fievegal was able to get their hands on. Vaergraes even stole the entire stock of the Covenant before she fled, leaving them in a pinch if anyone of importance were to die. Revival potations have a window of effectiveness.
The main problem is that the Harbinger of Calamity seems to have formed a truce with the dragons, since they have conquered the Citadel together. The dragons have long been interested in the Citadel, and to be aided in its capture would surely be worthy of an alliance with them. The Harbinger’s strange power makes him one of the only threats to beings of great power, such as the dragons and the Feral Feldrok. No one can identify the spells that the Harbinger of Calamity has used, as it leaves no lingering magical signature behind. Generally, the more powerful the magical power utilized, the more of an ‘echo’ it leaves behind, which can linger for hours or even days after the usage.
Something is strange about the Harbinger of Calamity, but if Zolorad is reading all of the evidence correctly, it’s very clear that he is also the new Dragon Lord, as well as the true ruler of the Citadel. It must be that he’s using Hekate as a decoy.
Zolorad heads to the training area, where his collection of conscripted soldiers is gathered, training with swords and armor. Normally, demons don’t bother to wear much armor or focus on swordplay, since their strength and magical prowess exceed that of the humankin of the east.
If we have to contend with the dragons, then we may not have enough strength. The Citadel repelled 100,000 eastern soldiers, and reports suggest very few of the dragons made an appearance.
What is this power the Harbinger has at his disposal? How can he avoid our detection? And, who sent the archoneldwyn?
Zolorad considers his options. Supposedly, Hekate plans to march on Fort Twilight, the central-most fortress controlled by the eastern forces. It is easily the largest fortification, and most of the battles in the recent years have taken place there. It’s well suited to defense, though the only pass through where the larger demon monsters can make their way into eastern territory. The ground in both the north and south fortress paths is too unstable to be safe for travel with large creatures like the gulpoxen and wall-breakers.
If Hekate captures the central-most fortress, it would give her a strong foothold in the area, as well as a strong grip on the divide between the east and the west, allowing her to control the tempo of the war.
Hekate’s inner circle is closely guarded, and she refuses to meet with outsiders that make an effort to make contact with her. Strangely enough, there have been reports of visitors receiving a warm welcome, but no political alliances seem to have been established, as far as Zolorad’s spies can determine. He has tried to have infiltrators enter at even the lowest levels, but the Citadel appears to be impenetrable, as if even the lowest levels are monitored by some all-seeing eye. Surely, it can’t be the work of the Harbinger, as it would require an immense amount of magic and focus to so accurately identify all spies and infiltrators, even among the rabble.
I need to dedicate more energy to learning about the Harbinger, clearly. That must have been the mistake of the dragon lord. Even if the Harbinger is a simple human with some strange power, he has proven an insurmountable adversary.
Zolorad returns to the planning room to begin looking at the current intel on the humankin forces. As it stands, 100,000 soldiers have been repelled from the Citadel, returning through Fort Twilight. It would take even more forces for Hekate to conquer the fortress. At least, that would be the standard convention of battles. But of course, Hekate has dragons at her disposal, as well as the mysterious golems that she is able to employ.
Suddenly, Zolorad freezes. Why would the humankin know that Hekate is launching an invasion on Fort Twilight? Did she announce her attack? Why would she do that? Is she an idiot?
Zolorad studies the map. The Grand Zenkon Empire doesn’t quite border Fort Twilight, but it’s close. And, it’s well-known that the Grand Zenkon Empire is the primary military force of the east. If the war is to continue as it is, then Hekate is an agent of disruption.
She’ll need to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
The question is, what is her weakness?
***
“...kate, wake up… Come on now, wake up.”
Hekate mumbles. “Mmm… Five more minutes, Daniel. We can sleep in. It’s my-myaaaaahhhh, mmm… my imperial decree.” Hekate hugs the bunched up blankets and pillow that she sleeps with.
The bed shifts as a moderately heavy weight moves in behind her, and Hekate rolls over, cuddling up against the body that is now lying with her. “Mmm… Daniel…”
“You’re gonna miss it, Hekate,” whispers Daniel’s voice gently in her ear. She twitches her big triangular hearing appendage, which prompts Daniel to blow gently down inside, and she squirms and hums in frustration, flicking the fluffy organ instinctively.
She finally whines, “Stoooop! Daniellll!” She climbs on top of him, flopping back down to try to continue to sleep.
“I know it’s early, Hekate, but I want to show you something…”
“Right now?”
“Mm-hmm. You won’t regret it, I promise.”
She grips his shirt as she tries to stay where she is. She’s trying to think of what it could be. She normally gets to sleep in all the way to breakfast, which is well after sunrise. By how she feels, it’s not even that time yet.
“Mmmrrr… Let me sleep until we get there, then…”
Daniel chuckles. “Fine, ya big baby.” He ruffles her hair, and she hums happily. “Such a spoiled little girl, huh?”
“Mmm… Yes. You did this to me, Daniel.” She yawns, and she lets him up, leaning against him when he scoops her up to carry her.
Hekate loses track of time, likely drifting off, and she jolts awake when Daniel intentionally jostles her. “We’re here,” replies Daniel gently.
Hekate rubs her eyes. She can feel a breeze, as well as the crispness that is easily identifiable as outdoors, since the air inside the Citadel has an air of magic ‘tinglieness’ present throughout the entire castle.
Hekate looks up and sees the darkened world around the Citadel. There is a glow starting to illuminate the east and add an orange and purple hue to the sky. They are on the roof of the Citadel, the very highest point of the tallest tower at the center, from which it often feels like they can see the whole world. Daniel takes a seat on a simple raised platform, so that they can see over the ramparts as they sit on cushions to watch the impending sunrise.
Hekate hugs Daniel, asking, “Wh-What are we looking at?”
“Hmm? Just the most important sunrise of the year.”
“Wha-?” asks Hekate, still confused. In spite of her confusion, she does find herself entranced as the suns rays really start to fill in the sky with light, and she watches for several long moments.
Daniel kisses her cheek, and she blushes, looking at him in shock. He says gently, “Happy birthday, Hekate.”
She gasps as she pieces it all together. She looks at the sunrise again. The sunrise of her birthday.
And, Daniel is watching it with her.
She whimpers, “Th-Thank you…”
He chuckles, hugging her close. “Don’t thank me yet. Can’t you see? The day is just beginning.”
Hekate giggles and snuggles up against him. “I approve. Spoil me rotten today, Darling.”
“I’ll do my best.” The two watch the sunrise together, and Hekate feels wholly happy and content. She listens to Daniel’s heartbeat, feeling ever so thankful once more that they met each other when they did. Hekate doesn’t dwell on her own past, since she had no control over it. But, now, she has more than she ever dreamed for. She wishes her parents could be a part of her life, or that she had more friends her age, but she knows that she is blessed to have achieved what she has.
And, what makes her happier than anything is that Daniel is happy as well.
As the sun clears the horizon, illuminating the world and officially beginning the morning, Daniel stirs. He withdraws something from his magic bag on his belt. Three somethings.
He hands the first to Hekate, saying gently, “I know you might be too old for this one, but we’ll start with it. Here.”
Hekate accepts the object. It appears to be little more than a wooden box with a skin of paper around it, and some simple hand-drawn paintings on it.
She admires the images with tender touches of her hands. They look like animals and simple star shapes. She hugs it gently, saying warmly, “It’s beautiful. I love it.”
Daniel chuckles. “That’s just the wrapping paper. The gift is inside the box.”
She cocks her head, drooping her ears to the side. “What?”
“You tear the paper off and open the box for the real present.”
“You want me to tear this beautiful artwork!?”
He scoffs lightly, amused by her reaction. “I… Well, that is the tradition…”
“B-But… You drew these, didn’t you!?”
Daniel nods. “With help from Jieka and Tekten. I hope that’s alright.”
Hekate softens as she admires the drawings even more. Daniel’s first official children are goblin daughters, Jieka and Tekten. They are cute and kind, and Hekate adores them. And, even though they were born only a little over a week prior, they can already walk around, understand some words, and play with toys.
She hugs the present defensively, saying, “Well, now I definitely can’t harm this masterpiece! It’s too beautiful!”
Daniel can’t help but laugh. “I guess on Earth, we had the luxury of buying pre-printed paper, so no one really gave it any thought. Alright. Then, will you at least unfold it? Here. Carefully pull out the pins at these spots, and it shouldn’t harm the paper too badly.”
She nods, inspecting the simple pins that Daniel used to pin the folds together. He doesn’t have tape, and other than the adhesive saliva of the balinkons he has in storage -the praying mantis wolf-lions-, he doesn’t have a simple adhesive yet, other than book glue, which he could have made. But, simple metal pins did the job fine.
Hekate carefully removes the metal pins, taking great pains to not damage the art-decorated paper covering her gift box.
Once she frees the box, she unfolds the paper, inspecting the whole thing. “This is amazing, Daniel… C-Can we draw something together, too?”
“Of course. We can do it after breakfast if you want.”
She nods eagerly, carefully placing the paper on the stand in front of them, using the extra cushion to weight it down so the wind doesn’t catch it. She then inspects the wooden box, but it’s an extremely simple wooden box.
“Just a little wooden box, Sweetpea.”
She nods, sliding the lid open on it, and her eyes freeze on the contents.
Daniel is a master of no skill or trade, but he does do his best to learn or practice a wide variety of skills. And, in this case, it’s a simple little plushy doll, made with soft silk for the outside, stuffed to the brim with fluffy wool, and decorated with hand-made clothes and cute facial features. It’s ultimately fairly simplistic, but easy to identify as a medium-sized plushie doll of a little humanoid feldrok, complete with simple wings, a distinct tail, and big fox-like ears.
Hekate stammers, “Wh-Wh-What is th-this? I-Is it… Me?”
“If you want. Or, it’s a little feldrok girl who you can give a name to.”
Hekate’s face wavers as she stares at the doll while holding it. Her eyes begin watering, and she is speechless for a long time.
It’s the first true gift she has received. A gift for no other reason than because she was born, and because someone who deeply cares about her chooses to express his affection.
Hekate begins sobbing as her feelings overcome her, and she hugs the doll, throwing herself against Daniel as she cries. She can’t even form the words, ‘Thank you’, but Daniel knows. He hugs her and pets her back as she cries, absolutely swimming in love and happiness.
Daniel whispers gently, “You’re welcome, Hekate.”
She nods, since she can’t say the words, but he has it exactly right. She doesn’t need anything else. He has already made her first celebrated birthday perfect.
Daniel gives Hekate plenty of time to calm down, and she sniffles as she climbs onto his lap to sit with him, hugging and petting her new doll affectionately as she continues to look at it.
“Th-Thank you, D-D-Daniel…” whimpers Hekate tenderly.
“My pleasure, Hekate. I’m glad you like it.”
She nods. “I-It’s… It’s the first gift I’ve ever been given… A-And… it makes me so ha-ha-happy.”
Daniel teases, “Do you not even want the others?” He gestures to the two presents sitting next to them.
She hugs her doll, asking, “D-Do I have to choose?”
“What kind of question is that?” asks Daniel warmly. “They’re all for you.”
She sniffles, nodding. “O-Open them for me, please. I-I-I want to hold…” She hugs the doll tightly.
Daniel nods, taking the second present, which is a fair bit smaller. He carefully unwraps it, and Hekate asks, “Sh-Show it to me…”
He chuckles, stretching the wrapping paper out, and she inspects it with a big smile. She points, “Ah! Is that one you? A-And me?” Hekate points to extremely simplistic figures, but with distinctive traits; a human shaped stick figure taller than all of the other figures around him, and a much smaller one with a distinctive black tail squiggling behind her and big triangular ears. There are other figures as well, apparently representing Daniel and his companions.
“Yes. Tekten and Jieka drew those of us.”
Hekate giggles warmly. “They’re good. Someday, I’ll have my official portrait drawn by them.” She blushes, adding, “E-Erimaya said royal families and rulers have portraits done to carry on their memory.”
“I’m sure that would make them very happy, Sweetpea.”
She nods, patting his arms. “Now, open it! Open it!”
Daniel puts the wrapping paper under the cushion with the first one, and he slides the lid off of the box. Inside is revealed to be a rounded shape of metal with ornate structure, elegantly decorated with colorful gems. It looks kind of like a bubbled barbell shape with jewel-bound chains hanging convex in opposition to the concave parts of the shape. Hekate has never seen one before, but it’s truly beautiful.
Daniel replies gently as she inspects it, “I hope you like it. It’s a crown for a proper Empress.”
Hekate looks over her shoulder into Daniel’s eyes. He adds gently, “Maybe not the best ‘birthday’ present, but I thought it’d look nice on you.”
Her eyes water, but she chokes it down this time. She nods. “Th-Thank you… Um… I-... I know we’ve… played along all this time, but… I’m… I was…” She trails off, hugging the plush doll again.
Daniel thinks for a moment. He finally says, “Hekate, I don’t know all of the history of this world. Far from it, since this world has so many long-lived races and a rich history of magic. But, on Earth, let me ask you who you think the first emperor on Earth was?”
“Um… So-Someone powerful?” replies Hekate. “W-With lots of subjects? A king born of royalty…”
“No. He was believed to be the son of a gardener and a cup-bearer himself. And yet, he usurped a king and led a conquest to become a true emperor.” Daniel takes the crown out, gently placing it on Hekate’s head, passing the chains over her ears to allow the crown to fit firmly, but comfortably on her head. “In other words, he was just a regular human who worked for his empire.” Daniel adds jokingly, “Albeit, through usurping the throne…”
Hekate touches the crown, which rests on her head without interfering with her too much. Daniel adds gently, “A person’s history doesn’t define who they become if they have the willpower to make it happen. A former slave can become an empress. To survive being an empress, she must work hard to earn her position every day. To seek counsel from those she trusts, to see through to the true nature of things, and to make decisions without hesitation nor remorse.”
Hekate nods, absorbing the wisdom. She knows Daniel isn’t someone with experience, but with knowledge of the past of his own world, and with enough sense to piece together what he has seen. He’s saying the basic gist, and there’s far more work to being Empress, but she has no standards to live up to, save leading a large body of people and preventing herself from being assassinated.
“I… I don’t know what to say or do, o-other than to say thank you, Daniel…” murmurs Hekate sheepishly.
Daniel chuckles, petting her head. He is mindful of her new crown, and she can feel it settle on her head. It’s not too heavy, but she knows it’s there. It’s her symbol as an Empress.
Daniel pulls the last gift close, unwrapping it carefully and showing Hekate the third hand-drawn wrapping paper. She appreciates it reverently, and he places it under the cushion with the others for now.
He slides open the third box, revealing a quaint but beautiful dress. “A-A dress?” asks Hekate, surprised.
“That’s right. Geirahoel helped me a lot on this one, so I hope you won’t be put off by that. I wanted you to have a nice formal dress for being Empress.”
“I-... I… Th-Thank you, Daniel… A-And… I guess I’ll have to thank Geira, too, huh?”
“She’ll appreciate it, but she also insisted on making you a separate gift.”
“Wh-What?”
Daniel smiles and nods. “Yep. It’s your birthday, after all. You’ll appreciate them less when you get older, but since this is the first one you’ll be celebrating, everyone wanted to make it special for you.”
Hekate’s eyes water again, and she sniffles as she wipes away her tears. “I… I… I’m not… worthy… I always… say such… mean things to them…”
“Everyone understands your concerns, but that’s why they want to be nice to you in return, since you’re also kind and protective to everyone. Even Ryuo.”
Hekate scoffs and chuckles softly through her whimpering and sniffles. Ryuogriar is probably the closest thing Hekate will ever know to a mother, while also being Hekate’s rival.
And, Hekate wouldn’t trade her for anything, just like the rest of her friends and companions, who have proven to be exactly those things.
“Umm… W-Will… Will you help me put the dress on, Daniel? I… I want to wear it for the… rest of my birthday…” She blushes as she fidgets with the doll, looking up at Daniel from below her brow.
Daniel smiles and pats her head gently. “I suppose I have no choice.” He quickly adds pointedly, “But, you’re putting your under-clothes on yourself.”
She pouts, looking to the side. “Meanie… You’ve already seen it…”
“When I thought you were even younger than fifteen. And, because you were in rags.”
“So…”
“You’re doing them yourself. You know how, at this point.”
She huffs, hugging her doll and looking away from him. “You will rue this day, Darling. A girl’s heart can only take so much before it explodes.”
“You’re experienced in this fact, yes?”
“Hrk!... Daniel, you butt!” Hekate pounces him, and Daniel laughs as he fends off the little feldrok empress.
It’s a playful beginning for a warm and eventful day of peace before the inevitable battle.
***