The victory celebration in Veridia had lasted for three full days. People ate, drank, danced, and sang together in the streets. It felt as though the city had finally broken down every old wall and barrier- tearing away the lines between civilian and soldier, noble and commoner. It was pure, joyous chaos, and the people bonded in a way they never had before.
Amidst the noise, Lorian had made sure to quietly visit the Dwarves. He had handed them a massive sum of gold as a private reward, respecting their wish to stay out of the public eye and avoid unwanted attention. He had also sought out Sylfia Moonbrook to apologize personally for his harsh words during the siege.
Sylfia stood frozen in absolute shock. It was beyond anything she could have ever imagined- the Lord of Veridia himself walking up to her, a woman, to ask for forgiveness. In her homeland, men would never dream of admitting a mistake, let alone saying they were sorry to a woman or someone beneath them. It took her a long time to even process what was happening. Lorian went a step further, giving her his word that Vespera would be released from her naval duties unless Vespera personally insisted to stay.
When the three days of revelry finally ended, the royal court was summoned. Instead of holding it inside the walls of Auric Spire, Lorian held it right out in the open forecourt so everyone could attend.
The military personnel received heavy monetary rewards. For the families of the soldiers who had fallen in battle, the state set up a permanent fund to support and educate their children until they came of age. Such high levels of recognition and financial support were entirely unheard of across the continent. Beyond the gold itself, labeling the fallen as honored martyrs touched the grieving families deeply, binding their loyalty to Veridia forever.
Vespera Thal was promised a handsome estate and a noble title for her exceptional service. However, when the decree was read aloud, both Vespera and the rest of the navy stared in total disbelief as it was announced that she was being discharged from active duty.
Vespera stepped forward, her voice was tight with panic, "My Lord... did I do something wrong? Is this…. Is this… because of my…. race?"
The naval officers standing nearby stiffened, clearly unhappy with the decision, though none dared to speak out against their lord.
"Not at all. Veridia recognises and honors talent without being blinded by race or sex." Lorian shook his head, "This is only because Sylfia asked for your release from active duty."
Hearing that, Vespera immediately dropped to one knee, begging him to reverse the order, "Please, my Lord, reinstate me! I will talk to Sylfia myself and make her understand!"
Lorian smiled faintly and waved his hand, "Very well. I will leave the final decision up to the outcome of your talk with her."
With that settled, Lorian turned his attention to the city itself. He declared that a massive fortune would be poured into the rapid rebuilding of the entire Western cityscape and the destroyed dockyards. To ease the burden on the state, the Throne family would cover two-thirds of the total cost out of their own private wealth, refusing to touch the public treasury.
While the crowd cheered wildly for the selflessness and generosity of the royal family, Lorian had a secret motivation he kept entirely to himself- spending his own personal gold would finally earn him a fresh batch of slot machine tokens. Though there was still no sign of the Demon, Lorian hoped he would make his move soon.
The Black Riders were also officially recognized as a formal division of the Veridian Guard, answering directly to Lorian himself. The half-orcs were overwhelmed with emotion. For the first time in their lives, they were being treated as true citizens of Veridia rather than outcasts. They no longer had to sneak around back alleys, hide their faces in taverns, or fear the city guards. Not only were they legal citizens now, but they were elite soldiers with the Lord of Veridia himself acting as their warchief.
The ordinary people of Veridia no longer shrank away from them either. Crowds cheered as the half-orcs marched by, and soon, even small children were running up to pat the thick fur of their giant direwolves, which the beasts thoroughly enjoyed. The riders were tasked with patrolling the outer borders and welcoming more wolf-riders into their ranks, trading their old life of raiding the countryside for the noble duty of protecting it.
Once the dust settled, Selena summoned her paladins and ordered them to return to Valoria, knowing their presence was desperately needed at home. Yet, her men dragged their feet, clearly reluctant to leave their princess behind alone in a foreign land. Even when Selena assured them she felt safer with Lorian than anywhere else, they hesitated.
It wasn't until Darina Sihar herself stepped forward and promised to remain by the princess's side that the paladins finally relented, mounting their horses for the long ride back to Valoria, carrying a personal letter from Selena to her mother, Queen Serana, explaining her choice to stay.
Lorian walked Selena to the Gold Wall to watch her paladins depart. As the column of white-and-gold armor vanished into a distant cloud of dust on the horizon, Lorian turned to her with a raised eyebrow.
"So... do you want me to leave?" Selena teased softly.
"I plan to keep you with me forever, whether you like it or not," Lorian replied, flashing a mock-evil grin.
Selena playfully punched him in the arm, "I stayed because I wanted to help you through whatever comes next. I can sense you'll need me. Besides, you left your own people in my city, and they are doing a brilliant job helping Valoria recover. You really ought to thank Baron Torin, Count Leofrick, and Master Alsnow. Specially the Count and the Baron, as they are spending their own money helping the common folk, and now the people of Valoria adore them! That's why it was so easy for me to gather those paladins and ride to your rescue in the first place."
"Oh, perfect," Lorian groaned playfully, crossing his arms, "So they come out looking like heroes, while I risked my neck dragging them behind the enemy line for nothing?"
Selena stepped closer, sliding her arms around his neck with a sly, knowing smile, "That was just the idiot prince risking his life for the girl he loves. It had nothing to do with politics."
Their faces drifted together, the space between their lips closing fast, before they both suddenly remembered they were standing in open, public space. They jumped apart, clearing their throats awkwardly.
Lorian quickly cleared his mind and changed the subject. "I have a feeling there's another reason you decided to stay behind."
Selena's playful expression faded into something more serious, and she nodded, "You're not wrong. I have a strange feeling in my bones. I think the Heptagon Accord is going to call a meeting soon. And when they do, I want to stand right beside you."
Lorian frowned, surprised. It was far too soon for a diplomatic summit. Yet, listening to her, he couldn't shake an identical uneasy feeling.
More immediate problems awaited him, however. He had originally planned to have Rylan oversee the massive rebuilding project. But after everything that had happened, Rylan was gone, leaving a heavy void. Worse yet, old Gravil had recently asked to be relieved of his duties. The execution of his own son had broken the old man's spirit, leaving him mentally drained and unable to continue. Lorian couldn't force him to stay, so he granted him his release, but it left the administration dangerously short-handed. Eldred Alsnow wasn't ready to step into Gravil's shoes- the old scholar was simply too rigid and by-the-book for the rough realities of running a post-war city.
Lorian was in the middle of discussing the crisis with his advisors when a Throne Guard hurried into the court, announcing that a young man was standing outside, begging for an audience and promising a solution to their problem.
The nobles and advisors in the court murmured in suspicion, wondering if it was a spy sent by a hidden enemy.
Lorian, however, felt a spark of curiosity and ordered the guards to let the visitor in.
When the young man stepped through the heavy oak doors, Lorian stopped breathing.
It was none other than Azal'Gul himself, standing before them in human form.