Episode-867
Chapter : 1733
Lloyd didn't flinch. He didn't turn around. He knew the voice. It was calm, amused, and carried the faint, exotic scent of desert spices that somehow cut through the northern frost.
"Princess Amina," Lloyd said to the darkness. "I thought you would be asleep. Or plotting."
"I can do both," Amina said.
She stepped out from the shadow of a guard tower. She was wrapped in a heavy cloak of dark wool lined with fur, her face half-hidden by a veil that glittered with microscopic gemstones. She walked to the wall and leaned beside him, mirroring his posture.
"I saw you leave the Queen’s room," Amina said casually. "You were in there for forty minutes. A respectable amount of time. Long enough to discuss terms, short enough to preserve propriety."
"We were talking," Lloyd said defensively.
"I’m sure you were," Amina said. She turned her head, her dark eyes dissecting him. "So? Did you say yes?"
"I said... we would figure it out," Lloyd admitted. "My father thinks it's a victory. The King thinks it's a masterstroke. I think it's a logistical nightmare."
"It is," Amina agreed cheerfully. "You have a pregnant wife at home, Lloyd. You have me, your 'fiancée' by magical contract, who is currently evaluating whether you are worth the headache. And now you have a Queen offering you a crown."
She looked up at the stars. "You are collecting powerful women like rare trading cards. It is becoming a habit."
"It is not a habit," Lloyd snapped, the stress finally cracking his voice. "It is survival. I am trying to save the world, Amina. I didn't ask for any of this. I just wanted to build golems and keep my head down."
"And yet, here you are," Amina said. Her voice lost its teasing edge. It became sharp, the voice of a ruler. "You need to understand the board, Lloyd. This changes things with us."
Lloyd felt a cold knot in his stomach. This was it. The collapse. "Are you withdrawing?" he asked. "Is Zakaria pulling out of the alliance?"
"No," Amina said firmly. "Quite the opposite."
Lloyd blinked, surprised. "What?"
"Think, Lloyd," Amina said. She pointed east, towards the invisible horizon where her desert kingdom lay. "King Liam and your father... they spoke to you about the Triumvirate, didn't they?"
Lloyd nodded slowly. "The King mentioned it. A coalition."
"It is the only way," Amina said. "If you marry Seraphina, you become King Consort of the South. You already control the North through your bloodline. If Zakaria withdraws, we become the outsider. We become vulnerable. My father is a proud man, Lloyd, but he is not stupid. He will not let the West and the South unite without him."
She stepped closer, invading his personal space. Her voice dropped to a whisper that the wind couldn't carry away.
"If you accept her, you must accept me. My father will demand it. He will not let Altamira have exclusive access to the 'Lion's Cub.' If Seraphina gets a piece of the Ferrum genius, Zakaria must have an equal share."
"You want me to marry... everyone?" Lloyd looked at her, exhausted. "Amina, this isn't a harem anime. This is politics. It’s madness."
"It isn't madness," Amina corrected him. "It is stability. Bethelham. Altamira. Zakaria. The three great powers of the continent, bound by one man. If you take the Third Crown, the war stops. Instantly. No one can attack you, because to attack you is to attack the world."
She reached out and tapped her gloved finger against his chest, right over his heart.
"You are the bridge, Lloyd. You are the keystone. Seraphina sees it. Liam sees it. And I see it."
Lloyd looked at her. He saw the fire in her eyes. She wasn't jealous of the Queen; she was competitive. She didn't want to lose her position on the board. She wanted to be part of the new world order they were building.
"You are terrifying," Lloyd whispered.
"I am a Princess," Amina replied with a shrug. "It comes with the territory."
She pulled back, adjusting her cloak. "Go to sleep, Lloyd. Tomorrow, you have a treaty to sign. And after that... you have a world to save. The Queen is waiting. And so am I."
She turned and walked away, her silhouette dissolving into the shadows of the stairwell, leaving him alone on the roof.
Lloyd stayed there for a long time. He listened to the wind. He thought about the three crowns. One head, he thought. I hope it’s strong enough.
Chapter : 1734
The next morning, the sun rose over Ironhold, bathing the black stone fortress in a harsh, revealing light. The gloom of the previous night was gone, burned away by the dawn of a new era.
The Great Hall had been transformed. The tension—the threat of violence, the armed guards tense on their triggers—had evaporated. In its place was a feverish, transactional energy. The hall felt less like a fortress and more like a high-stakes marketplace.
Scribes ran back and forth with stacks of parchment, ink stains on their fingers. Generals from Bethelham and Altamira were huddled over the great map table. Yesterday, they had been plotting how to kill each other. Today, they were pointing at supply lines and discussing joint patrols.
Lloyd stood at the back of the room, near the great pillars. But he wasn't hiding. He couldn't hide anymore. He was the center of gravity in the room.
Nobles who had ignored him yesterday were now bowing low as he passed. Their smiles were bright, brittle, and hungry. They called him "My Lord" with a new reverence. They weren't seeing the Arch Duke's son; they were seeing the future King Consort.
At the main ironwood table, King Liam and Queen Seraphina sat side by side. They looked like old friends, or perhaps co-conspirators.
"The marriage will take place in the neutral city of Ramos," Seraphina was saying, her voice clear and authoritative. "In six months. That gives us time to prepare the populace. We need the people to see this as a love match, a union of destiny, not a surrender."
"Agreed," King Liam said, signing a document with a flourish. "And the status of his... existing arrangements?"
Seraphina didn't hesitate. "Lady Mina will be recognized as the Duchess of Ferrum. I will grant her an honorary title in Altamira as well—Countess of the Silver Peaks. Her children will have legal standing in my court. We will not hide her. We will elevate her."
Lloyd let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Seraphina was keeping her word. She was protecting Mina.
"As for Princess Amina," Seraphina continued, glancing at the Zakarian observer who stood nearby, arms crossed. "We will negotiate a tri-partite agreement. A second ceremony, perhaps, in the Eastern style. We are writing new laws here, King Liam."
Arch Duke Roy Ferrum walked over to Lloyd. He looked tired. He was still wearing his travel armor, and his eyes were rimmed with red, but there was a deep, profound satisfaction in his posture.
"You did good, son," Roy said quietly, his voice a low rumble that only Lloyd could hear. "You stopped a war without drawing a sword. Your grandfather would have been proud."
"I feel like I’ve been sold at an auction, Father," Lloyd muttered, watching the scribes duplicate the treaty.
"You were," Roy said, a rare smile cracking his stoic face. He clapped a heavy hand on Lloyd’s shoulder. "But you fetched a very high price. That is the highest compliment a noble can receive."
Roy looked at the table where the monarchs were exchanging the signed accords. "You realize what this means, don't you? Once that wax cools... there is no going back. You are the pivot point. You are the pin that holds the three wheels together. If you fall, the alliance falls."
"I know," Lloyd said. "I need to get stronger. Politics won't stop a Devil King. If the Seventh Circle attacks, they won't care about my titles."
"No," Roy agreed grimly. "But an army might. And you just bought yourself three of them."
King Liam stood up, raising the parchment high in the air.
"It is done!" the King shouted. "Let the word go forth to every corner of the continent. The North and South are one! Peace in our time!"
The room erupted. Cheers, applause, and the sound of soldiers banging their swords against their shields filled the air. It was a deafening roar of relief.
Lloyd watched them cheer. He felt a strange sensation settling in his chest. It was the feeling of destiny locking into place. The path was clear now. He had the resources of three nations. He had the ancient archives of Altamira. He had the wealth of Bethelham. He had the trade routes of Zakaria.
He had everything he needed to build the ultimate weapon to fight the Devils.
Fine, the Major General inside him whispered. If they want a King, I’ll give them a King. But I’m going to run this kingdom my way.