A Reality better than the Dream

24.- Their new life

ΝΟΤΕ: Hello friends. This is the last chapter of my story and I would like to thank you that you were with me all this time. I know that these leading characters I have imagined are in some way perfect ones, but they are like a pattern of what everyone dreams. With beauty, integrity, goodness and power of character. They can make their own path in life keeping their dignity and even when they make mistakes, they can accept and correct it. But in real life they are desperately rare. I wish you to be healthy and happy and live a nice new year.

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The barbarians were wondering now how to handle Kandik's presence in their area. Now, he was completely useless for them. Their only connection with him were the interests from both sides. If the immortal empire attacked to them under the command of such a capable emperor, Oren, they would lose everything. And even more... now that the Εmperor had married with Queen Iris, whose kingdom was excellent in warfare, their united power would be unrivaled, because they would fight not only for the empire, but also for their own king and queen. They had challenged the Emperor relying mainly on the traitors inside the various kingdoms. But now... these traitors had already been vanished. The emperor's message was clear: Peace, but under some conditions. First, to give Kandik to the Emperor to be judged by a courtyard and, second, some changes in their way of living and governing for the better. His conditions were not unreasonable. The proof was the progress of that section of the "civilized" barbarians who were Emperor's admirers and loyal allies. So, they accepted his conditions and withdrew their army from their borders with Oren's and Bendin's kingdoms.

When Iris learned the news, she felt a great relief and happiness, that her husband would be somehow safer now. She ran to Oren and fell into his embrace very pleased saying "Oren, now I will have no fear for your life!". And in front of Tangren and others in the palace they had embraced each other. But Oren did not care for this. She was the only woman around him, his own woman, and so... what's the problem?

Kandik, finally, was handed to the Emperor and was accused by the empire's members that he had betrayed both his homeland and the whole empire, scheming to kill some kings, among whom King Karendim of his homeland, to replace them with his own men and seize Karendim's throne. So, in the end, he was punished with death. And there were also other very bad deeds in his personal life, but he had been judged only for the political ones. His scary deeds were now known to everybody. Iris' father was finally exiled and till now he could not accept the fact that his daughter was not stupid, or boring, or useless. He was so corrupted in his way of thinking that he was not able to discern between goodness and stupidity. Such stubbornness in mind was really unbelievable. Lady Amary's sorrow was now somehow eased, because her daughter's "executioner" had been punished by life.

Tangren was really happy. Whenever Oren lost him, he knew that Tangren would be somewhere with Iris... in the kitchen... in the garden joking about her inability in martial arts... playing games... they were discussing without formalities as if they were very old friends. He was even bringing sometimes his wife in the palace to discuss with Iris! General Sheng was always by her side like a father, here in emperor's kingdom or in her kingdom, but he was also devoted to the emperor now. It was obvious that Sheng did not find it at all strange that she behaved so freely and affectionately in her home. He knew it long ago. And Oren was really happy that his wife had also, among other characteristics, this very lovely and affectionate side in her character, so well combined with her interesting and capabilities in public matters.

Her grandmother was extremely happy and the emperor could see her relief that her second "daughter" had, at last, left behind the dark past. She revealed straightforward to Oren that Iris had fallen ill back then, because of her sorrow and pain, when the emperor had accused her wrongly and her father treated her like this and that it took her a long time to recover psychologically. "But, Emperor, I never blamed you, because I knew your difficult position and that my son-in-law was a bad, cold and scheming person, causing always misunderstandings. I was only very sad that this good child of mine was so much suffering and that her first innocent love had turned into ashes in such a cruel way. However, in the end, you are the one who saved her not only from her loneliness but also from certain death". Oren did not speak, he could not stand, even now, that he had accumulated unknowingly his heavy insult in her misfortunes and affected her so badly. But he loved her very much and his behavior towards her was really affectionate, passion and affection were always in his heart, and had no similarity with his behavior towards the other women or men. He loved every aspect of hers and he received her absolute love.