As a new queen rises to power, the kings of Caeleste grow unrest. The Inlustris in their sights, they send an assassin to Antonella Feulune's palace, and the war is declared.
Inexperienced and filled with grief, Antonella sends off her fiancé on a t...
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My fingers glided over the new dining table. Its wood was identical to the last one, but there was a freshness that the previous one lacked. Sighing, I reached the edge and looked around. Even the room was identical to the past one, but it was much more polished and improved.
Philip asked if I wanted to design a new palace, but I turned the idea down. It would be odd to cruise the halls of a new palace. After such terrible weeks leading up to the war, already coined as the Lumen War by many, the last thing I needed was more uncertainty staring at me in the face.
The palace stood tall and proud overlooking Potentia Flamber as it always has been.
I looked out through the window, staring at the people working hard rebuilding the rest of the kingdom. Smiles adorned their faces. They were all hopeful for the future. They were excited to start over, rebuild their life, and turn Potentia Flamber into the great kingdom it was meant to be.
I halted most normal jobs for the time being. People made their income by helping rebuild little by little. Some jobs have already started to open up as the kingdom began to shape up. The entire kingdom looked anew to the naked eye, but it was all due to magic. Everyone had agreed that we should all rebuild naturally, but for the time being, living amongst the magic would be fine. Just not forever.
A sense of respect settled for my people. They understood the use of magic. They knew it was helpful, a blessing for mages, but it wasn't a necessity to live with. It was simply a tool, sometimes considered a privilege. I guess witnessing a king go through such great lengths in pursuit of the ultimate magic was enough for them to realize it wasn't worth it.
It was the greatest relief after the war was over.
Before rebuilding started taking place, funerals were held for every fallen individual during the Lumen War. It didn't matter if they were Flamber, other, or an enemy, they were remembered.
The Bleeders and I had a separate service for Adonis. We tried to locate his body, but we were unable to find it. No matter how many times Orion and I tried tracking him with a spell, nothing worked. The amount of times I cried in Herc's arms in frustration was incredible. Alas, I had to move on and continue serving my people.
There would always be a feeling of longing and questioning living inside of me, but that was life. I needed to move forward. Herc had already given me that talk about a million times.
Adonis would've wanted me to keep going. That's what Herc always told me. It's what helped me continue.
Some days I'd wake up with an enormous heaviness in my chest. It was hard to get out of bed. Poor Philip had to break all sorts of rules to sit by my bedside to encourage me. He was the father figure I needed to keep me afloat. His guidance and love kept me moving forward as well.
Sometimes walking down the halls, I recalled Theodora and missed her terribly. Other times I swore I could've heard little Orpheus running around, calling me to go play with him like when he was a babe.
