The next morning, as noon approached, "ugh," Leon slowly opened his eyes. He noticed a ceiling that was different from his usual view, paired with the sharp scent of the salt sea. He immediately realized he was in one of the guest rooms at Steelhold Fortress. "ngg," Leon turned his head to see Casey asleep in his arms, completely naked. He smiled, gently running his hand through her hair.
"That's right, she was with me last night," Leon thought with a smile. His mind drifted back to the night before.
***
When the guards at Farport harbor finally surrendered, the fighting came to a halt. The Mirriad soldiers and the demon forces began rounding up the prisoners. As Leon watched from his horse with Casey seated behind him, a voice called out.
"Leon!"
Leon turned to see Hugo approaching. He quickly dismounted and gave Hugo a firm hug. After pulling away, Leon looked around.
"Where are Livia and Valen?" Leon asked.
"They're at Toreno Castle. Livia managed to conquer it; she was absolutely incredible," Hugo said.
Hugo quickly filled him in on everything that had happened that night, from using the hillside as a natural siege ramp to seeing Livia take down entire units on her own. He mentioned that Livia was exhausted and resting there now that the takeover was complete. Valen was staying with her, along with Cyrill—who, as Hugo had learned from Dustin, was a commander of the Holy Assassins.
"Hmm... so those assassins are his men? Good. That certainly makes things easier for us," Leon noted.
"Definitely. I want to introduce you to someone, come with me," Hugo replied.
"Alright... oh, wait a second," Leon said.
Leon turned back to Casey and reached out his hand to help her down, but Casey stayed still, her expression shifting to something bashful.
"What's wrong?" Leon asked.
"Um... sorry, Your Majesty, but I can't walk," Casey answered.
"Oh... I'm the one who should apologize. Alright then," Leon said.
Leon pulled Casey toward him and picked her up. Hugo stepped forward when he saw Leon carrying her.
"Um... let me carry her for you," Hugo offered.
"No need, it's no trouble. Right?" Leon asked, smiling down at Casey.
"Yeah, it's fine, Hugo," Casey replied, looking at Hugo with a face that clearly said "don't get involved."
"Huh... but... you're... um... man, how do I say this," Hugo muttered, scratching his head.
"Is there a problem?" Leon asked.
"Not really... it's just... she's Valen's sister," Hugo answered.
"Oh, really? You're Valen's sister? So you're from House Rochele too?" Leon asked.
"Yes, that's right, Your Majesty. My name is Cassandra Rochele, but everyone calls me Casey," she answered.
"Okay then, Casey. My name is Leon. And until I'm actually sitting on the throne, don't call me Your Majesty. Just use my name," Leon replied.
"Alright... Leon," Casey replied shyly.
"Alright then, let's go, Leon," Hugo said. "Whatever. At least I tried. I'll deal with Valen later," Hugo thought to himself.
They walked over to meet Dustin and Malcolm, who were supervising the Mirriad soldiers as they marched prisoners out of the city. As Leon approached, Dustin turned toward him. Leon had to look up to meet the gaze of the massive man, whose white eyes seemed to stare straight ahead. Suddenly, Dustin dropped to one knee.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. My name is Dustin, and it is a true honor to meet you in person," Dustin said.
Seeing Dustin kneel, Malcolm immediately followed suit, dropping to one knee right beside him. Leon glanced over at Hugo.
"These are the men I wanted you to meet," Hugo said.
"Please, stand up," Leon replied.
Dustin and Malcolm rose immediately and introduced themselves. Dustin briefed Leon on the situation, while Malcolm officially declared that Mirriad was joining forces with the three monarchs from the Dark Continent in the hope of bringing about real change. Leon listened intently to the explanation and Malcolm's request.
"I see. In that case, can I ask a favor of you, Lord Malcolm?" Leon asked.
"Anything within my power, Your Majesty," Malcolm answered.
"I need you to close the borders from Mirriad to Nortrom and from Mirriad to House Levent for the time being. Can that be done immediately?" Leon inquired.
"I suggested the same thing before we set out for Toreno, Your Majesty, and Lord Malcolm has already seen to it," Dustin replied.
"Excellent," Leon said.
Leon then spotted a demon warrior passing by. He called him over and instructed him to deliver a message to Lucia at the city of Hargar. The warrior nodded, grabbed a horse, and sped out of the city.
"Alright, let's get some rest for now. Dustin, Hugo, go take a break. You should rest as well, Lord Malcolm," Leon suggested.
"I'm quite alright, Your Majesty. I've been resting in a dungeon for six months. If it weren't for Master Dustin, I wouldn't even be here to join your cause," Malcolm replied with a smile.
"Great. Thank you once again, Lord Malcolm," Leon said.
"You're very welcome, Your Majesty. It is a pleasure to be of service," Malcolm replied.
Leon looked down at Casey, who seemed sleepy but was trying to stay awake while still in his arms.
"How about we go get some rest in Steelhold? Would you like that?" Leon asked.
"Y... yes, Your Majesty," Casey stammered, blushing deeply.
"Alright then, if you'll excuse me," Leon said to the others.
Without waiting for a reply, Leon turned and walked away with Casey in his arms. Hugo started to follow.
"Um... Leon," Hugo called out.
But before Hugo could take a step, Dustin's hand gripped his shoulder. Hugo turned to see Dustin looking at him with those white eyes, a small smile on his face.
"Just let him go, Hugo. Lady Casey is destined to be the princess consort to our King," Dustin said.
Hugo was shocked to his core, and even Malcolm—Casey's uncle—whipped his head around to stare at Dustin in disbelief. Hugo watched Leon and Casey move further away before turning back to Dustin.
"If that's really how it is, please be the one to tell Valen later. I don't want her blaming me for this," Hugo said.
"Could you explain that to me as well, Master Dustin?" Malcolm added.
"Of course," Dustin replied.
Dustin explained his vision regarding Leon and Casey. He also detailed what he had seen concerning Livia and Cyrill, as well as Lucia and Calvin. Malcolm listened with his arms crossed, nodding along; he looked relieved and seemed to give his blessing like a father. Hugo, however, still looked puzzled.
"Wait, Lucia with who? Was that person in my vision too?" Hugo asked.
"Yes, the man wearing goggles," Dustin answered.
"Ah... that guy," Hugo replied, remembering Calvin from his own vision.
Hugo looked toward Leon and Casey, who were now far in the distance, and smiled. Then he turned back to Dustin.
"Okay, I'm fine with it. But please—really, please—tell Valen about this," Hugo urged.
"Fine, as soon as I see the fox, I'll let her know," Dustin promised.
"Her name is Valen," Hugo corrected.
"I know. I've met her before at the Northern Wall. Don't worry about it," Dustin replied.
"Oh... right. Valen mentioned that. But why did she act like she didn't know you last night?" Hugo asked.
"She hasn't realized it yet; she was distracted because she had just been reunited with her sister. Give her a break," Dustin answered.
"Hmm... true. Alright, I get it," Hugo replied.
***
Back in the present, Leon—also unclothed—stared at Casey as she slept in his arms, stroking her hair. Slowly, Casey opened her eyes. When she saw Leon, she beamed.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," Casey said with a smile.
"Hey, I told you—call me Leon," he replied, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
"Right. Sorry, Leon," she smiled.
The two shared a kiss and held each other close, but suddenly—"bang!"—the bedroom door was thrown wide open.
"Hey! Wake up... huh!"
Leon broke the kiss and saw Livia standing in the doorway. Beside her stood a man he didn't recognize, though Casey recognized him immediately as she scrambled to cover herself with the blankets.
"Wait... Cyrill?" Casey asked, startled.
"Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty... come on... Your Majesty Livia... let's go," Cyrill stammered, turning completely stiff.
"Wait, you're Cyrill? Thank you for sending your assassins here. Because of them, I've got a very valuable hostage in the dungeon. How's my sister? She's fun, isn't she?" Leon asked.
Cyrill's face turned bright red. Livia, however, stepped into the room and dragged Cyrill inside with her, shutting the door behind them. She sat down on the edge of the bed.
"That's exactly what I wanted to discuss with you, Leon—about Bruno Clark. I also got word from Lucia that she captured his sister, Alesya Clark," Livia said.
"Hmm... good. That means Lucia moved exactly as I expected. Once we reach Hargar, we'll talk about everything," Leon replied.
"Alright... I didn't expect to find you with Casey," Livia said, glancing at Casey with a smile.
"Um... I... I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Casey said shyly.
"Don't worry about it. I was quite satisfied with Cyrill last night myself, wasn't I, Cyrill?" Livia asked, looking at him tenderly.
Leon and Casey both looked at Cyrill, who was speechless. It was clear he would rather be anywhere else in the world—and if he could have vanished on the spot, he would have.
"Okay, we're heading back to Hargar today to wait for our main army to arrive. Once they get here, we're moving everyone over. This fortress is perfect for coastal defense, and since Farport is much larger than Hargar, it makes more sense to use it as our temporary headquarters," Leon said.
"I completely agree. Besides, Lucia mentioned that House Levent is gathering their strength to join our cause. They still have five hundred cavalry troops under the command of Patrick Levent, Meredith Levent's son. It's time we give Hargar back to its rightful owners," Livia added.
"You're coming with me, right, Casey?" Leon asked, pulling her close.
"Yes, Leon. I'll follow you," Casey answered.
"And you're coming too, Cyrill," Livia said, standing up and taking Cyrill's arm.
"Yes... Your Majesty Livia," Cyrill replied.
"Hey... how many times have I told you since last night? Don't call me Your Majesty. I'm not on the throne yet," Livia said.
"Sorry... Livia," Cyrill replied bashfully.
Finally, Livia and Cyrill left the room while Leon and Casey got dressed. Once they were ready, they prepared to begin the journey back to Hargar by sea.