Princess Ebony, the granddaughter of King Ember IX, daughter of the 2nd Nightbringer (and the Great Great-grandmother of Princess Karmellia), gently pressed her head against Novaherian's chest, King Ember IX her grandpa lied dead in his bed, the entire Royal Court was around his body mourning his death, but others were mourning the fact that according to the Emberian-Laefita Treaty, Princess Ebony (who didn't have the pure blood of the Emberian Dynasty) would assume the throne.
Princess Ebony's face showed so many emotions at the same time that she would try to hide them against the dark blue fur of the Reaper's chest, but it was useless as she was the only one there who could see the Reaper, she was sad for her grandpa's death, but she was also scared that she would assume as ruler of the realm (actually terrified). She was anxious as a great part of the population not only did not support her, but despised her, but how they couldn't? She would be the first non-pure blooded monarch of the Emberian Kingdom since it's foundation ten generations ago (this actually meant the first non-inbreed monarch of the Emberian Kingdom), but she also felt hope, as she genuinely believed that she could make the Sun Kingdom a better place, this of course, if the people let her rule, Ebony who was usually confident and even a little overconfident sometimes (she had inherited this trait from her mother of course, as she was the 2nd Nightbringer after all) that night her mind made all difficulties that she would have to overcome as Queen Ebony the 1st of Her Name, seem unbeatable, the thought almost made her cry, which scared Novaherian as he never saw the Princess like that, not in all the 20+ years he had served King Ember IX
—— It's okay… I know you can do this. The Reaper very politely tried to comfort the Princess
—— I also know, but I'm scared anyways. She sounded tired, lifeless
The Reaper started to slowly caress her hair to calm her down, which was dark amber colored, not light amber like the previous monarchs of the Emberian Kingdom, one of the signs that she was mestizo, Novaherian grabbed Ebony by the shoulders and looked straight into her eyes
—— Tomorrow when you will be crowned as "Queen Ebony Halfleer the 1st of Her Name" the people will cheer you yelling with all their hearts "Long life the new Queen!" and the ones that don't cheer, will eventually do so as the years pass and you convert them into your supporters through your charisma and good will, just like you did with me and your grandad
—— And if they don't follow me?
—— I will… at least I will
Ebony let a single solitary tear slip from her right eye and smiled at the Reaper
—— Yes… at least I will have one loyal supporter
Novah hugged her, she immediately hugged him back with all her strength
About 100 Reapers had been enslaved by King Ember IX to serve in his armies against the 2nd Nightbringer (his daughter in law), most of them had died in the war serving this purpose, but with the Ember-Laefita Treaty there was no need for the remaining Reapers anymore and they were all freed, except Novaherian, who choose to stay loyal to Royal Family, but specially loyal to Ebony Halfleer, who he promised to serve until the end of her days, because her days would end eventually, Novah's days wouldn't.
The next day the crowd massed around the Solar Palace in the tens of thousands (perhaps even the hundreds of thousands), cheering just like Novah said they would be, inside the Solar Palace it was chaos, but a chaos that made Ebony very happy, people were running all across the palace as the preparations for Ebony's crowning ceremony approached their end, it was scheduled to take place exactly in Midday when the blazing sun stood high in the sky as the tradition demanded.
Ebony was using the bright yellow dress that all female Emberian monarchs had used before her, she was more beautiful than ever, her Chanel hair had two braids wrapped around her head and tied behind it, this tradition served to support the crown that would be placed on her head in approximately 10 minutes, she didn't like make up very much but her company ladies had done a great job doing the traditional make up, her eyes squandered leftover makeup with yellow tones with moons and stars in tones of white inside and around them, knowing her it was obvious that she would insist in breaking at least one tradition, she insisted in dark purple lipstick instead of yellow, she claimed that it was essential to show the people, that things would now change although Novah believed that she just preferred the purple lipstick instead of the yellow one, she was beautiful, radiant like the sun, Novah was a couple meters behind her, laying his back on a pillar with his arms crossed
—— I told you. He sarcastically said
—— Novah! For the Gods come here!
—— As you wish my master… In her right wrist there was a symbol of a closed padlock
—— You were right. She smiled, beyond the crowd of supporters the Emberian Army was busy trying to contain the crowd of people who did not support Ebony's coronation
—— For the Gods you look… gorgeous. Novah couldn't stop looking to her from head to toe, the princess smile got even bigger
—— Thank you for always being there for me Novah, I couldn't take this crown without you. Nothing in his 400+ years of life warmed so much Novah's heart
—— I'm just a humble Reaper serving my master. He bowed his head making fun of nobility culture also making Ebony laugh
—— I've already said the war is over, my birth brought an end to it, you're free, you can go like the other Reapers
—— And failing to serve an amazing person like you? Never. Novah almost made his love for the Princess slip away in that sentence so he backed off a little bit
—— I think I agree with you, an amazing ruler deserve an amazing servant. She smiled with her eyes closed and started to laugh
—— Hey Ebony… I mean Princess I…
—— Here you are! The ceremony is about to start for the Gods! Novah was interrupted by one of Ebony's Lady of Company
—— Okay, okay I'm going. She started following the lady when she turned her head back to Novah —— Oh sorry, what were you going to say Novah?
—— Oh… nothing my Princess, you should go now it's already time. She smiled and went towards the main balcony of the Solar Palace were the crowd awaited for their new ruler, Novah followed her floating
They were now in front of the balcony's doors, Ebony took a deep breath and prepared to be face to face with the people she would rule until her death, she could hear them yelling for hope, the hope she promised herself to become but when the doors were opened there was only silence, because all the tens of thousands of people that were cheering just a moment ago were dead, slaughtered and bleeding upwards as if their blood violated the laws of gravity, their blood would reach the sky and paint it from blue to red when the sky was completely red Ebony turned her back to Novah, she was not surprised or even affected by what was going on, while Novah was completely horrified and couldn't believe what his eyes were telling him
—— What the fuck is happening?? Novah looked behind and no one was there although there were dozens of court members running around just before the balcony doors were opened, the Princess's face was serious and she looked with despise at Novah
—— You said that you would serve me for ever…
—— Ebony I will, I swear I will
—— You lie… why you only tell lies to me Novaherian?
Novah started crying a glowing golden liquid
—— Ebony please…
Ebony violently approached Novah at a speed impossible for a human, and brutally stuck her hands in his chest and his torso bursted bleeding the same glowing golden liquid that slipped from his eyes, he also vomited that liquid in Ebony's face and she pulled Novah's ribs form his chest, he fell to his knees looking up to her face in disbelief his ribs had turned into a bone crown
—— And I crown myself Queen of the Reapers in your name Novaherian. She slowly put the bone crown in her head and took a step on the direction of Novah grabbing both sides of his face
—— W-why??
—— Oh Novaherian, we could have been together if only you weren't so much of a scum…
She kissed Novah's skull-face her body caught fire and Novah watched as her body disintegrated in a carbonized skeleton.
Novah woke up screaming and immediately sat, Vanwë was already waken up and looked at him
—— Nightmares. She said, It wasn't a question
—— Now I remember why I haven't slept since the Penumbra. Novah looked at the sky it wasn't blue or red like in his nightmare, it was the same terrifying black
—— Now you understand what we humans have to experience every time our bodies and minds force us to sleep
—— Yes… I do. Novah sat hugging his knees against his chest, still shaking because of his nightmare and he didn't know if he was glad or not for waking up, after all he had woken up on the world after the Penumbra, a living nightmare
Vanwë was cooking meat in the fire, Novah saw that she had taken the meat from the soldiers dead on the pile, Vanwë sat on the other side of fire pit, grabbed a piece of the cooked human flesh and started eating it, the ideia of eating human meat probably disgusted more Novah than did Vanwë.
—— What was your nightmare about?
—— Princess Ebony
—— Wait, Princess Ebony Halfleer? The daughter of Salazaria Leer? the 2nd Nightbringer?
—— Yes the only one. Said Novah looking at the floor
—— You said that you served King Ember IX, didn't you? —— I've read about this in the Royal Library, Ember IX used Reaper Enslavement Spells to enslave 100 Reapers to fight in his armies against the 2nd Nightbringer, after 20 years of war, Ember IX offered the hand of his only male child, his youngest child Prince Maffhey to Salazaria Leer the 2nd Nightbringer, ending the war, the surviving Reapers under Ember's command were freed, expect one… one that-
—— Yes, It was me… but as you said "Why it matters? It's over now"
—— I see. She offered a piece of meat to Novaherian, he refused without even looking at it he just kept looking at the floor
Vanwë threw something next to Novah's left foot, he took it in his hands and saw that it was some kind of Amulet
—— So that's how they were perceiving my presence. Vanwë nodded, he gave the amulet back to Vanwë —— You should keep it, it will warn you when there's something abnormal around you. Vanwë took the Amulet back and put it around her neck
—— We should continue our path, if you look carefully at the horizon you will see that there's a small village of Wastelivers a couple kilometers from here. She finished eating and started packing up her things
—— Do you think they will be receptive?
—— Probably not, but they might have resources that we can use
—— Any other helpful thing in the Carriage besides the Gin?
—— Hmmm not very much, there's a couple rations, water, materials for fixing the carriage… oh and there's that. She pulled out a piece of paper —— It's map of the entire land that used to be part of the Emberian Kingdom, it shows the domains of all 12 Corrupted Lords and Ladies, it might be very useful
Novaherian stood up
—— If you insist my mast- He stoped as calling Vanwë "master" reminded him the way he had referred to Ebony in his nightmare. Vanwë understood what was happening and she reluctantly put her right hand on Novah's left arm
—— Let's just… continue
—— Yes, let's just continue.