The guards keeping watch over the silver gates of Eryndor's castle stood as motionless as the stone battlements they protected, unyielding even as the night's chilling wind swept through their cloaks like a restless ghost.
As they scanned the dark path ahead, two familiar faces emerged from the gloom. Though one was draped in an unfamiliar, striking elegance that caught the moonlight, the pair approached with two young girls skipping playfully in front of them.
These were the same men who had stood here when Noa and Vionette first arrived to meet Roswell — the very guards Vionette had 'spared'.
They didn't speak or even glance at one another's faces, but acting as one, two of them walked toward the towering silver gates and pulled them open in perfect synchronicity.
They didn't demand identification or ask what business brought the group back to the heart of the archduchy. While a part of their compliance was born from the fact that Noa and Vionette were now their de facto rulers, the larger part was a silent, heavy debt of gratitude that hung in the air like the smell of ozone.
"It's you guys again." Noa came to a halt near the entrance, his features softening into a look of genuine, slightly startled recognition. "How's the work going on? Keeping the peace alright?"
"Oh yeah." Vionette leaned into Noa's side, her new attire catching the flickering torchlight. Her eyes danced with a playful curiosity as she peered at the ranks. "Where's the other guy? That low-tempered one who looked like he'd swallowed a lemon?"
The guards, who had been standing as stiffly as statues, allowed their shoulders to drop just a fraction. They bowed deeply, their eyes surreptitiously checking to see if the pair still carried that same carefree, casual attitude they had displayed during their first encounter.
"It's an honor to meet your majesties again," the guard who had first spoken to them that day replied, his voice steady. "And, as for Fozen — he had been appointed as a soldier in the standing army, just before the war broke out."
"A soldier, huh? Good for him." Noa offered a soft, lopsided smile that seemed to bridge the gap between king and commoner. "I'll check him out later."
"Well then, we'll be going." Vionette waved a dismissive hand, her fingers tracing a graceful arc through the cold air as she noticed Lina and Elina had already passed the gates and were venturing further into the courtyard.
"Continue the good work, and I might just raise your positions as well."
The guards snapped back into a rigid salute, remaining frozen until the group had passed deep into the castle's shadow. Only then did the newly appointed guard — the one who had filled Fozen's vacancy — speak up, his voice hushed with wonder.
"Are they truly our new rulers? The ones you talked about?"
"Yes. What do you think of them?" the senior guard asked, his gaze still fixed on the empty path.
"They look kind. They don't seem to care about status much at all." He watched the memory of Vionette's striking new black attire disappear.
"Don't push your luck too far," the guard cautioned, shaking his head slowly as the wind howled through the silver filigree. "You heard the reports, didn't you? Not even a chance for surrender was given to Aurelyth. Not even kindness comes free in this cruel world."
"Well yeah. Though, I think they truly care about the people on their side of the line." Another guard chimed in, understanding the unspoken law of the new era: their loyalty was the currency traded for that rare, royal protection.
The new knight, taking the lesson to heart, turned his gaze back to where the group had gone, his eyes landing on the two smaller figures.
"…They even have kids at such a young age?" he asked, his voice cracking with genuine, bewildered surprise.
"No, you idiot! That's his majesty's sister, and the other one — can't you see? That's a literal dragon."
"I… I guess so?"
***
Noa and Vionette moved through the grand, vaulted hallways of the castle, their left and right arms wrapped around each other like two halves of a single, walking myth. Lina and Elina had already sprinted ahead toward their destination, leaving the two adults to walk slowly, enjoying a rare, slow moment of private tranquility.
Isn't that—
While Vionette was leaning into the warmth of Noa's shoulder, enjoying the silent hospitality of the moment, they reached a crossroad. To the left side, a tall figure was walking in the opposite direction. Noa recognized the sharp, disciplined gait immediately — it was Roswell.
"Hey! Roswell!" Noa shouted, his voice echoing through the corridor.
Roswell turned around in confusion, his hand instinctively twitching toward a non-existent sword hilt. He hadn't been informed of their arrival, but he smoothed his expression into a mask of professional calm, accepting their sudden appearance with the weary grace of a man who knew exactly how the two operated.
"Yes, your majesty?" He closed the distance and bowed with the precision of a ruler's edge.
"Bruh… You changed up quickly." Noa leaned his head back dramatically, a smirk playing on his lips. "So, how are things going on?"
"The nobles have officially accepted our surrender by now," Roswell reported, straightening his back until he looked like an extension of the castle's architecture. "And the merchant guilds that had ties with us have already sent letters about wanting to increase their relationship with Crimvane through the archduchy of Eryndor."
Is this really how Crimvane normally operates?
Roswell wondered as he delivered the report. He looked at Vionette, who was simply resting against Noa, looking more like a pampered cat than a conqueror.
They're acting just like how they acted in the map room.
"Appreciate the hard work, Roswell," Noa said with a bright smile. "Then, we'll be off."
"Yes, please have a look around safely."
…
Finally, after a long walk through the labyrinthine castle, Noa and Vionette reached their destination: the royal kitchens.
Mara had come here to help oversee the festival preparations after the combined kitchen staff of Crimvane and Eryndor — including the world-class head chefs — had practically begged her for guidance. Since she was the "Queen of the Kitchen," the four of them wanted to visit as well.
Creak
Noa pushed the heavy oak door open. He and Vionette stepped inside, though this time their hands separated as the heat of the room hit them like a physical wave.
"Get those plates over here!" a maid shouted, her voice lost in a sea of clattering metal.
"Twenty-four meats to the left side station!" a cook roared from the far end of the room.
"The ordered ingredients have arrived! Hurry up and bring them!" one of the five head chefs screamed at a frantic staff member.
As they entered, the chaotic echoes of a kingdom preparing for a festival hit them, the air a thick, intoxicating perfume of roasting meats and exotic spices.
The kitchen's floors were a grid of polished cream tiles that caught the hum-less glow of Aether-lamps recessed into the ceiling like captured stars. Magic circles etched into the workstations infused the pots with steady heat, while staff members used their cooking-related Skills to slice and prep with blurring speed.
"Decrease the heat a little bit more on this!"
In the center of the storm stood Mara. She didn't wear a formal apron like the other cooks; she was in her casual clothes. She held a wooden spoon in her hand like a scepter of absolute authority.
Sprrp
She tasted a simmering broth, her eyes narrowing with intense focus.
"This needs some more salt," she declared, moving around the kitchen while giving rapid-fire advice. "If that glaze is a single shade too light, you're starting the whole batch over!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
While she walked, her eyes fell upon the little duo — Elina and Lina — who were tucked away in a corner, attempting to create their own sample dishes for the upcoming festival.
Mara closed in, leaning over to inspect the culinary experiment they had made together.
Not only Mara, but Noa and Vionette, who were watching from afar, also made faces filled with utter disbelief. A collective drop of sweat formed on their heads as they stared at the plate. The dish was a lump of pure, abyssal black, while acrid steam carrying an aggressively overcooked smell rose from it like a mourning pillar.
BANG!
Mara punished Lina with the wooden spoon, bringing it down with a swift motion that left a fresh bump on the girl's head.
"What are you doing? Who in their right mind adds this much spice to a dish?"
"…me?" Lina muttered, rubbing the sore spot as her eyes began to water.
Then—
BANG!
The second shot of the spoon descended upon the dragon girl beside her. Elina yelped, pressing her hands against her own newly formed bump, her golden eyes filled with unshed tears and her tail waving around in a rhythmic tantrum of pain.
"And who told you to increase the fire output this much?" Mara demanded, putting both hands on her waist. "Redo it!"
"Y-yes ma'am!" Elina shouted in fear, a small fang peeking out.
Noa watched the little duo get scolded, his shoulders dropping with a heavy sigh as he felt bad for the two of them. Beside him, Vionette simply put a hand over her face and shook her head in silent amusement.
"Move! Why are you sta—" A cook began to yell at the two people blocking the door, but his words died in his throat mid-sentence. "Y-Your majesties!?" he shouted, instantly standing straight as an arrow.
The other workers heard the shout and immediately stopped their frantic tasks, sitting or standing perfectly straight. The people who came from Crimvane stood with a fierce loyalty; Eryndor's people stood for their new rulers who had overrun their previous lords; and Aurelyth's people stood in a state of sheer fear, knowing exactly how the war had ended.
"Oh my~ look at this. The 'Partners' have finally come to greet me." Mara teased dramatically, her voice cutting through the tense silence as she looked at the two.
"Ok you guys, get back to your work, don't mind us." Vionette ordered, looking around the room and giving the workers their direction back.
While the workers got back to their tasks, Mara approached the two, casually placing her spoon over Noa's shoulder.
"Noa, my little son," she whispered, leaning into his ear with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "How did your dating life go off to? Doing good?" she asked smoothly.
"Mom… sigh… whatever. Forget about me," Noa groaned, gently pushing Mara back a bit. "Are you doing fine? You're not overworking right?"
He was worried about the anchor of his little world, Mara — the very foundation that held up the world's core, Lina. To him, the absolute first priority always came down to Lina, then to Mara, before finally arriving at his own life and Vionette's, which were entirely equal to one another.
"Awww…" She leaned in and hugged him tightly, a warm smile spreading across her face. "I'm doing fine, don't worry, I do this because I have nothing else to do."
She stepped back and pointed her spoon toward the struggling duo in the corner.
"Go help them. Even if you don't know anything about cooking, it will be better than leaving them together alone."
"Mmm… I'll try my best ig?" Noa turned and walked towards the two, bracing himself for the culinary disaster.
Then, Mara turned her attention to Vionette, who had been watching the exchange in a rare, silent stillness. Mara's lips curved into a warm, soft smile that seemed to radiate maternal light.
"Nice outfit. It looks good on you."
"Ah!" Vionette snapped out of her daze. "Y-yes moth— I mean, thank you, auntie."
Oh no! I slipped!
After hearing the slipped words, Mara's head angled faintly to the side, yet her eyes remained locked on Vionette — steady, deliberate, and overflowing with a teasing warmth.
"You know, you can call me 'mother'." She smiled. "Well, only if you want to, that is."
"…I can?" Vionette was in genuine surprise.
"Why? You don't have the idea of calling me that in the future either?"
"Then…" Her cheeks flushed a deep, vibrant crimson. "I will call you mother, then."
"Good." Mara winked. "By the way, why the sudden change in outfits?" She looked Vionette up and down.
"Your son pushed it." The reply came bluntly.
"Really?" Mara shook her head, a soft laugh escaping her. "That rascal has some strange habits, huh?"
Truth was, Vionette had already been thinking about getting a new outfit even before Noa had asked for it. But after his specific request, she put that as the perfect excuse and finally got a new one.
"Vionette, do you know how to cook?" Mara asked, looking at the kitchen.
"A little." She looked at the complex meals prepared by the professional cooks and instantly gave up her pride.
"'A little' is not enough. If you want to impress that guy," Mara pointed her wooden spoon at Noa, "you have to get to a higher level."
Me… cook… him…!!!
"How can I do it!?" Vionette leaned back and asked in dramatic surprise, her eyes wide.
"Don't worry, I'll teach you." Mara reached out and placed her hand on Vionette's head, rubbing it slightly and smoothing her hair with a maternal tenderness that made the fearsome 'ruler' of this land look like a simple, wide-eyed little girl. "So go get an apron and get ready."
"On it!"
Mara watched as Vionette ran off to grab an apron, a satisfied, lingering smile forming on her face. However, as she watched the two of them — Noa, and now Vionette — a flicker of ancient, protective sorrow passed through her eyes, subtle as a shadow.
I hope those two won't break any further. I don't even know what will happen to them nor the world after it.
Under the teasing gestures, Mara was treating the two broken stars with the utmost care. She didn't want to see Noa suffer any further than he already had in the stories he had shared with her. She was the anchor, and she would hold the line.