Kapitel 90: Queen's Wrath - Time without the Queen - Part 1
Away from Basilica, Ella and the group of people who accompanied her were still on the outskirts of Qartur.
They traveled at a speed that took the children into account.
That's because if Ella also increased her speed, the children would be thrown to their deaths by the pressure of the air, and the others on mounts like pegasus and grimera wouldn't be able to keep up with the dragons' speed.
This pace of travel gave Lunnia, who was uncomfortable with the atmosphere between Athena and Anemus, the opportunity to ask what had happened and try to help her friends.
"What happened between you and Athena?" Lunnia asked bluntly.
"Athena..." Anemus sat on Achilles' back, hugged Lunnia's back and cried. "Athena rejected me...."
"Hah? How so?" Lunnia squeaked.
Anemus told everything she and Athena had talked about. Anemus' ultimatum and Athena's decision to not choose her and not break up with Mifa.
"Fuh~!" Lunnia sighed her indignation. "Frankly, Anemus, you went too far asking her this."
"And what did you expect? That I would accept this nonsense that Athena wants to do?"
"Yeah... I know it's none of my business..." Hein, who was clinging to Yrio over a lashas, said. "Why didn't you just accept her proposal and steal her little by little? You know, she's your master, right? Things might take a while, but an hour she'd wait longer for you."
Anemus looked at the red woman and felt some inferiority when comparing her sizes. "Yes, you are right."
"Of course I-"
"This is none of your business." Anemus said in a dry voice. "And she is not my master."
"How not? Are you going to deny your origin just because you guys fought?" Lunnia frowned.
"It's not that... I was born of her, but at the same time, she's not my master." Anemus said, leaving Lunnia and Hein even more confused. "So much so that I can't use the "Eternal Bond" on her like Fotiá did."
"'Eternal Bond'? What is it?" Hein asked not caring about Anemus' rudeness.
"From what I understood when she explained. It's a magic that only you, nymphs, can use." Lobana, who was listening to the conversation, said. "With this magic, the nymph and the master will be united for eternity and even after death and reincarnation, they will meet because they are linked by the soul."
"Exactly." Anemus confirmed Lobana's explanation. "Being linked to her master, the nymph will be able to feel and talk to them even if they are far away from each other." She complimented and then concluded. "But, that's not just good stuff..."
A smile appeared on Hein's face, who hugged Yrio more passionately, not listening to Anemus. "Yrio, can we do the 'Eternal Bond'?!"
"Do you know how to use this magic? There's nothing I want more than to spend my eternity with you." Yrio replied and the two kissed.
The other three women flew away from the couple in love and the conversation about Athena continued.
"...And why didn't you go with her?" Lunnia asked.
"I couldn't keep up with Athena at that speed..." Anemus said in a low voice.
"Lie better, wind nymph." Lunnia mocked Anemus' lie and insisted. "Come on, why didn't you go with her?"
"..."
***
When their lips touched, Mifa and Athena felt as if they had returned home, felt complete.
The kiss wasn't long and they only used their lips, but it was still full of passion and desire and when their lips parted, they both smiled with all their hearts.
"I knew you were alive…" Mifa whispered into her smile.
Athena wiped the tears that continued to roll down on Mifa's face and kissed her again. "Forgive me for disappearing for so long."
"No..." Mifa shook her head slowly. "You don't need to apologize. All that matters is that you're back."
They stayed like that, whispering to each other, for some time. Fotiá and Faena watched with their faces glowing red and Serien's eyes widened as she finally realized Athena's presence when she came to her sense.
"A-Athena, Athena, Athena!" Serien rose from the throne and ran desperately to the couple. "Athena, please give the kingdom to King of Mizhar? Please! I beg you!" With her son in her arms, Serien knelt at Athena's feet. "Please Athena!"
Athena looked at Serien and then at Mifa's collar around her neck and strange marks on her wrists.
Athena's eyes darkened with a brief fury and in a cold voice, Athena asked Mifa. "What happened?"
Mifa looked at Serien with a pitying look, took a deep breath and began to speak.
"It all started two years ago, shortly after you disappeared..."
***
(Flashback)
A month after Athena disappeared, Serien had guided negotiations with Den to the point that the empire was reduced to a principality.
Basilica tripled in size practically overnight and in the beginning this led to revolts by the former nobles of the empire.
They demanded to be paid or the privilege of being a self-governing territories even within the borders of the kingdom.
"At the time Serien..." Mifa looked at Serien who was shaking with her son in her arms. "...She was following your footsteps. Like me, she also believed that you were alive..."
Athena, from the top of the steps leading to the thrones, looked at the princess and in her mind thanked Serien. But then Athena wondered why she should thank Serien. It was she who had forced her to become a queen.
Athena frowned momentarily and threw her thanks to Serien into the limbo of oblivion and continued listening to the story Mifa was narrating.
"As regent, Serien sent armies and within six months, all of Basilica's new territories were at peace and prospering under Serien's iron fist..."
Another two months passed and that's when it all started.
In order to take advantage of the fact that Serien is young and currently in the highest position of power in the kingdom...
"Wait!" Athena suddenly interrupt Mifa.
"What?"
"If we are triple of what we were before I disappeared, why are we still a kingdom?" Athena asked with noticeable frustration in her voice.
Mifa laughed. "Serien said that only you could claim the title of 'Empire' for Basilica and decided to wait for your return."
Athena looked at Serien and her grief-stricken state, and again felt gratitude to the princess.
"Then it is decided, I am the empress!" Athena said and a round of applause echoed from the knights. "Continues."
"Where I was?" Mifa's ears twitched to the left as she tried to remember and then straightened again as clarity came to her face. "Ah yes, several nobles from all over the kingdoms have come to find Serien..."
In the beginning we were cordial and welcomed them with the best for the kingdom.
After all, having good neighbors is the best thing for the future of a kingdom, if that kingdom is not in the path of continental conquest.
The first to make his move was the grand duke of the draconian kingdom.
"We welcomed him with open arms because he was a distant uncle of Mhia, but we soon regretted it."
***
(Flashback)
"Your Majesty-" The man with white and gray hair started to speak, but was soon interrupted by Serien.
"Highness." Serien corrected. "Her Majesty is..." The princess refused to continue her sentence. "I'm just the Princess Regent, refer to me as 'Highness'."
The duke's eyes suddenly changed to reptilian eyes. The same eyes Mhia had shown before shifting. But he didn't, the man showed a wry smile instead.
"Well then..." The duke gave a sour smile. "Your Highness, I would like to unite our kingdoms with marriage."
The man and Serien walked through the courtyard of the palace, where the princesses and the prince played. They were Serien's younger sisters and younger brother, and the duke looked at them when he talked about marriage.
"I find this a little difficult to happen." Serien replied. "I, as Princess Regent, cannot leave the kingdom to marry and I doubt that you would want to leave your great territory in Drakar, and move to a kingdom that does not serve the dragons as if they were gods."
"Hm... Your Highness is right..." The man agreed. "I believe that bringing Drakianism to your kingdom will not be good for either kingdom..."
"It certainly won't be good." Serien answered firmly. "Basilica is a kingdom without a dominant religion and all the temples pay taxes. Those that don't, if they don't have a good justification, are confiscated and disbanded even if by force. Those were the orders of Her Majesty."
"..." The man made a brief silence and spoke again. "So why not one of your sisters?"
"Hah?" Serien made a disgusted expression.
Her sisters were eight and six year olds, they were ageless and not ready for marriage. Besides, Serien didn't want them to marry out of politics.
Despite her mature appearance and attitude, Serien was a love dreamy twenty-year-old girl. But only when it concerned her sisters.
"Mister Dian, must I doubt the decency of your hobbies?" Serien asked with as much respect as that question allowed.
"Oh! No, please don't get me wrong." Said the man with another fake smile. "I would wait until she was of age."
"Let me think for today. Tomorrow at this time I will inform you of my decision."
After that, Serien quickly called for Mhia and convinced her to speak out everything she knew about Dian.
"I must confess he is not one of the most decent men in Drakar, but he is strong and my family is very rich, in addition to the military power over which he has authority."
"Then it's decided." Serien said and the day passed.
In the throne room some new visitors were present when Serien decided to inform Grand Duke Dian of her decision.
"And what would be your decision, Your Ma- uhum! Your Highness."
"I have decided that I want you as far away from Basilica as possible. Please leave today." Serien said with a cold look.
"Huh?" The Duke gaped.
His face color first turned pale and then red as the others there began to snicker.
"Please do not misunderstand me." Serien continued. "I just don't think you're good enough for my six- and eight-year-old sisters."
After that, one nobleman after another made their proposals.
A kingdom to the east wanted to buy fog elves as if they were merchandise and Serien said nothing, but the next day, that noble was on his way to the forest of the elves and was never seen again.
Another nobleman wanted Serien to convert to their kingdom's religion. He was from a distant kingdom northwest of the Principality of Elsna and that kingdom was undergoing religious conquest.
However, Basilica had banished the power of religion and Serien was already fanatical about another new religion that was secretly beginning to gain too many believers.
She had not abandoned her faith in Lhia, but that faith was weaker as a new one took hold of her heart.
"Serien still keeps this man in the dungeons..."
In short, Serien sent all the nobles sent to her to different destinations that ended in a brief war. Those kingdoms that were rejected by Serien, allied and declared war against Basilica.
"That's when Mizhar's kingdom approached of Basilica and also when I discovered my new powers... The powers you gave to me."
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
All_J
All_J I am so sleepy... Good night.
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