Final Chapter: Song of the Hero and the Saint
Elizabeth had defeated the demon lord’s army that had invaded the kingdom and returned triumphantly to the royal capital. Despite her busy schedule, her days were fulfilling.
The kingdom was bustling with energy, and every day seemed like a festival.
This was all because Elizabeth, alongside Romelia, had defeated Garios, the demon lord’s younger brother, in the Battle of Semed Wilderness.
Romelia, who had been defeating the demon lord’s army across the kingdom, was popular. However, there was known discord between her and the royal family, causing a split in public opinion as people hesitated to openly praise her.
But the event of defeating Garios in the Semed Wilderness symbolized the reconciliation between Elizabeth and Romelia, uniting the previously divided national sentiment.
The public rejoiced in this great national victory over the demon lord’s brother, which they could celebrate without hesitation. Furthermore, the upcoming 70th anniversary of the founding ceremony only heightened the excitement within the kingdom.
Elizabeth, busy with work in her room, shared this sense of elation. Not only had her discord with Romelia been resolved, but the kingdom’s internal affairs were also moving in a positive direction.
With the threat of the demon lord’s army eliminated from the kingdom, security had improved. The local lords, who had leaned towards Romelia, viewed the Battle of Semed Wilderness favorably and showed their loyalty to the royal family.
Elizabeth’s tea parties were going smoothly, making previously difficult negotiations and groundwork easier. Though it meant being swamped with work, it was a welcome problem.
The kingdom was coming together as the royal family, Romelia, and the local lords aligned. General Zaria, who held influence over the knightly orders, and Cardinal Pharmaid , the de facto leader of the church, still showed disobedience to the royal family, but these issues were manageable.
“Your Majesty, it’s almost tea time,”
announced her maid, Marie, reminding Elizabeth of her next appointment.
“Is it that time already? Let’s go to His Majesty,”
Elizabeth said, taking Marie along to visit King Henry, who was working in his office.
After knocking and entering the room, they found King Henry engrossed in his work with civil and military officials.
“Is something the matter, Elizabeth?”
King Henry who was filling in some papers, looked up at Elisabeth who had entered the room while he was working
his previous dislike for interruptions seemingly gone. His once volatile demeanor had mellowed, making the atmosphere more relaxed.
“No, it’s tea time,”
“Oh, is it that time already? Let’s take a break. Everyone, take a rest,”
King Henry said, accepting Elizabeth’s suggestion without hesitation, a change that made the officials’ work easier.
Marie prepared tea for the officials, while Elizabeth served tea to King Henry herself.
“Delicious as always,”
King Henry praised with a smile after taking a sip.
Since the Battle of Semed Wilderness, King Henry had shown an unprecedented calm. Contrary to expectations of him exploding with frustration from not being able to fight the enemy, he had returned home composed.
This change was beneficial for those around him.
Previously, King Henry insisted on making all decisions himself, but now he delegated more to his officials, taking a supervisory role.
The officials began to admire him, and government affairs started showing results. If this governance continued, he might be remembered as a good king.
Everything seemed to be progressing well. It should have been.
Yet, Elizabeth felt an inexplicable unease about the current King Henry.
“Is something wrong?”
King Henry tilted his head, noticing Elizabeth’s gaze. His gentle look and words felt oddly empty.
“No, it’s just… about the founding ceremony. Is it really okay for Romelia to attend?”
Elizabeth had wanted to ask what had happened to King Henry but ended up changing the subject.
“Yes, it’s fine. Since she defeated Garios, we can’t deny her recognition.”
King Henry’s lack of reaction to Romelia’s name made Elizabeth more suspicious, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask why.
“Ah, right. There was a report from the search party looking for Garios’ body. It seems he fell into the river with his dragon and was swept away. The dragon’s carcass was found downstream, but Garios’ body hasn’t been discovered.”
King Henry informed Elizabeth of the search party’s report, causing her to tremble.
She wanted to believe Garios was dead, but without a body, she couldn’t be sure.
“Although his body wasn’t found, he’s probably dead. Don’t worry,”
King Henry said, lightly hugging the trembling Elizabeth to reassure her.
The officials watched the embracing couple with smiles, perceiving them as a harmonious pair. Yet, in that moment, Elizabeth felt a great loss.
King Henry’s change should have been positive.
His previous roughness, which sometimes frightened even his wife, had been replaced by a gentle demeanor.
But now, even when he embraced her, Elizabeth felt nothing.
“Your Majesty…”
Elizabeth looked at King Henry, whose kind face was inscrutable.
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“Alright, let’s get back to work,”
King Henry said, putting down his tea and resuming his duties, leaving Elizabeth with no choice but to withdraw.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?”
Marie asked, concerned about Elizabeth’s feelings as they left the room.
Elizabeth knew she needed to talk more with King Henry, but she was scared. Confirming his heart felt like it might shatter everything.
“I’ll talk to him later. For now, let’s go to the children’s room. Ekaterina and Princess Lu are visiting today,”
Elizabeth decided to postpone the issue, recalling her recently reunited friends. They had returned to the capital with her and were staying at the palace until the founding ceremony. She had introduced them to her sons, Allen and Aller.
“They’re reliable, but they lack experience in childcare, so I’m a bit worried,” Elizabeth said.
“Indeed, the princes can be quite difficult,”
Marie agreed.
Allen, the elder brother, was a crybaby and only attached to Elizabeth. He reportedly cried every day during her absence while fighting the demon lord’s army. On the other hand, Aller, the younger brother, never cried but also never smiled. When upset, he would shut his mouth tightly and eat very little. Both had troubled the maids and nurses during Elizabeth’s absence.
The boys were very shy and didn’t warm up to strangers easily.
Ekaterina and Princess Lu were likely struggling with the unfamiliar task of looking after them.
As Elizabeth hurried to the children’s room, she heard voices even in the hallway. However, they were not the children’s cries.
“Look, a butterfly made of magical lightning!”
“Watch this. I’ll crush this stone with just a finger. The key is concentration.”
She heard crackling sounds and the noise of stones being smashed from the room.
“Please stop, Lady Ekaterina. Lightning indoors is dangerous… fire, fire!”
“Lady Lu, be careful. The stone fragments are flying!”
The shouts were different from what Elizabeth had expected.
She exchanged a glance with Marie and rushed to the children’s room, opening the door to a surprising scene.
Ekaterina’s conjured purple lightning crackled in the air, while splintered wood and shattered stones lay scattered on the floor.
Ekaterina was waving her staff, casting spells, and beside her, Princess Lu stood in a combat stance, breaking rocks with her bare hands.
The curtains and floor were scorched and wet from attempts to extinguish small fires. Broken pieces of pottery and window glass littered the room from the flying stone fragments.
The maids were running around frantically, trying to extinguish the fire and protect the remaining furniture, while Ekaterina and Princess Lu, the culprits, acted as if nothing was wrong. They only had eyes for Allen and Arel, who were right in front of them.
Meanwhile, the crybaby Allen was giggling and laughing at the magic being displayed before him. Arel, on the other hand, was intently watching Princess Lu’s techniques, occasionally trying to mimic her moves.
“Welcome back, Elisabeth. Prince Allen has a talent for magic. You can trust me on that,”
Ekaterina said, putting down her staff and picking up Allen. Normally, Allen would cry if someone lifted him high, but he seemed to like Ekaterina and didn’t cry at all.
“Princess Lu said, “Elisabeth, Prince Arel has the makings of a warrior. As expected of His Majesty Henry’s son.”
She caught Arel, who was less than a year old, and gave her stamp of approval.
“Oh, Your Majesty… Please, say something,”
the nanny in the room said, her face pale with fear. The maids, busy extinguishing the fire, also froze in shock.
As a mother, Elisabeth should be angry. But seeing this scene, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“Oh, Your Majesty?”
Surprised by Elisabeth’s sudden laughter, the maids and nanny looked at her in astonishment, but Elisabeth couldn’t stop laughing.
The future she had always envisioned for Allen and Arel was to support this country as royals and eventually take the throne.
However, seeing this scene made her wonder if a different future, one where they lived freely without the burden of royalty, could also be possible.
Even though she knew such a future was impossible, Elisabeth allowed herself to dream.
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