Mordret had already lived for 3 years in the village of Dagen, by his side. In the fourth year, he received news through a messenger that his father, King Marion, and his queen, who for a long time tried to have a child, finally would have one. It was still unknown the sex, but the king would dedicate the Festival of Waters of that year in homage to this new child. Mordret, at that point, was so in love with Dagen that he hoped it would be a healthy boy, so he could assume the throne in his place, since he wanted to live his life beside Dagen.
Mordret and Dagen went to the capital for the Waters Festival celebration. As Mordret had been away for a long time, focused on strengthening the village of Dagen, the nobles who did not accept his union with the rebellious foreigner had time to plot their schemes. In the capital, Mordret who was seen by the common people as a hero, now started to have the disdain of those same people for being beside a rebellious foreigner, as the nobles had spread.
As always, King Marion received Mordret with open arms and joy for the child the queen carried. Mordret and his father talked for a long time, while Dagen was despised by the palace guards and courtiers, who saw her as an intruder. The nobles, taking advantage of Mordret's absence, had managed to undermine his reputation with the people and isolate Dagen. The situation became tense in the palace. It would be a celebration that would also bring suppressed conflicts that now surfaced, putting Mordret in a delicate position before the detractors at court and the people themselves.
The sun shone in the great amphitheater of the capital, where crowds gathered for the Waters Festival. When the royal armorer announced the entrance of King Marion, all bowed in respect, except the nobles in the higher stands. Marion greeted the queen, who proudly exhibited her advanced pregnant belly. Then, the royal announcer declared the baby as the legitimate heir to the throne, to mocking laughter from the lords. Mordret, sitting alone beside his father, noticed the planned humiliation. As always, he remained serene. Dagen, by his side, seethed with contained rage.
It was then that a boy approached, innocently asking if Mordret was indeed a hero. He denied it gently, but the boy insisted on seeing him as an idol. Intrigued, Mordret asked the servant who the child was. Upon learning it was young Marcus, heir to the dragon's bloodline, he could not help but smile ironically. There was still hope in these who, like him once, saw beyond blood and imposed social condition.
After the royal announcement, the ceremony followed without further incidents, although spirits were still frayed. But Dagen could not calm down, reliving in thought all the humiliations directed at Mordret.
"Enough! I can't take it anymore in this nest of snakes," she exploded to her companion.
"Let's get out of here, to our village."
Mordret, always patient, tried to calm her. But he saw that she was right. Furthermore, he was also tired of the veiled hostility. Speaking to his father seemed necessary. At the moment of the banquet, Mordret sought out Marion in private. He told him with firmness but without rancor:
"Father, I thank you for your welcome, but I no longer feel at home in these lands. Dagen and I will soon leave for our village. There we will find the peace we need."
Although reluctant, the king understood his son's desire. He agreed, seeing that nothing would change his mind. He would only be relieved that Mordret would remain away from palace intrigues from now on. However, even after the conversation, Marion begged Mordret to stay a few more days. He felt that, with advanced age, he would soon need to abdicate the throne, and wished for his son to assume his place.
Reluctantly, Mordret eventually yielded. It was then that he realized the extent of the kingdom's problems: the war with Volkaron had worsened under the dominion of the aggressive King Absalon, who had taken even more Nannian lands. In addition, he noticed how the nobles, taking advantage of the father's kindness, fomented rebellions and strengthened themselves in their possessions, increasingly autonomous. Central power was weakening before his eyes. Amid unrest, Mordret spent long hours discussing strategies with Dagen. He knew chaos was taking hold of the kingdom, and that his father no longer had the strength to contain the disorder.
The days in the capital became a torment for Mordret, torn between duty and affection. Dagen, anxious to leave, pressed him to return to the village. Finally, his desire prevailed to accompany his companion and love for his people, though it pained him to abandon his father in such a complex situation.
"I promise I will return to help you as soon as possible," he said to Marion amid an emotional embrace.
They returned to the village, where they tried to forget the problems of the court. But peace there also did not last: a mysterious epidemic swept through the continent of Galea like fire, decimating populations. Mordret and Dagen sacrificed themselves to care for the sick, sometimes preparing healing potions, sometimes burying the dead. Only when winter brought an end to the plague did they find rest. Amid suffering, their love only strengthened. Now more than ever they were willing to do anything for the people they cared for in that dark hour. Their fate in Nannu was still not drawn.
The epidemic had wreaked havoc in Nannu. With famine and death, rebellions were growing amid the suffering of the people. However, in the quiet village of Dagen, love was blossoming.
"Would you like to get married?" - she declared in a rare moment of tenderness.
Mordret smiled, feeling like the happiest man.
"You've been my wife for a long time, even though we've had no celebration."
"I'm being serious! I would like to officially be your wife, you were the first man in my life and surely will be the last," she said with a sweet look that was not peculiar to her.
Mordret laughed again and with a heart full of happiness said:
"Okay, let's get married officially, but I want it to be here, not in the capital."
They planned the details when a royal envoy arrived: Princess Alexandria had been born. The king demanded Mordret's presence at the festivities. He hesitated, but Dagen insisted he go.
"They may need you there. I will return for us to marry after the ceremony."
With a broken heart, Mordret left. But he feared that amid the instability of the kingdom, many would want to use him as a pawn in their political games. And that this would put at risk his long-dreamed of peaceful life alongside his beloved Dagen. Only fate knew what else still awaited them in Nannu. For now, each would have to follow their own path, in the name of the greater good of the people. His concern was greater for his father. Upon arriving at the palace, he learned that Marion was sick. He ran to the royal chambers, where he found him weakened in bed.
"My son..." - whispered the tired king, with a faint smile.
An old, trusted servant explained in secret:
"The betrayal of the nobles sapped his vitality. Knowing it was they who financed the rebellions was too much for his tired heart."
Mordret controlled his anger, stroking his father's gray hair.
"Rest, soon you'll be better again."
But in his heart, he was certain Marion would not last much longer. And that with his passing, an internal war would explode, with them disputing the real power. Only his firm leadership could reunite the people again, in respect of the paternal will. All that remained was to wait and pray for the father to recover. The situation was deteriorating uncontrolled in the kingdom. Mordret needed to act to impose order, even if temporary.
Gathering his loyal personal guard, he entered the palace. With authority, he disarmed the soldiers of the false regent and deposed him from the position. Summoning the rebel nobles, he sat on the Throne of the Last Hero symbolically.
"I am the new regent until the king's recovery. Whoever opposes me will answer to me."
His attitude left the lords even more furious. But for now they did not dare challenge him. The queen, meanwhile, showed herself to be a declared enemy. She would not even allow Mordret to see little Alexandria. However, he did not covet power.
"I need to put an end to the chaos, so that my people can live in peace again and I can return to the village."
Would he stand guard until civil war broke out? Or would he be able to find concord among the parties, in the name of Nannu's unity? Only time would tell if order could be maintained under his command.
For one and a half years, Mordret governed the kingdom with an iron fist. He exposed each traitorous and corrupt noble, restoring justice to the people. In a war council, a loyal noble asked for his son to join Mordret's guard. "It is too dangerous," he warned. That was when the boy entered the room, it was Marcus, now 13 years old and determined to follow his hero.
Mordret immediately recognized the young dragon's blood who had admired his deeds for so many years. And in his gaze he saw the same fire of yore, the courage to go beyond to defend his people.
"I accept your entry, if this truly is your destiny," he said proudly. He knew the boy had grown to become a formidable warrior.
At that moment, a messenger arrived out of breath: "My lord, King Marion has finally awakened! He asked to see you immediately!". After so long, father and son were going to meet again. And perhaps in that encounter, Nannu's future would be sealed. In his father's chambers, Mordret heard his last conscious words:
"Rule as your destiny commands, son."
Even longing to return to Dagen, he could not resist his father's wishes. Shortly before Marion fell asleep, the queen spoke venomously:
"Our daughter must be the rightful sovereign."
Mordret looked at her with disdain. He knew she would move the kingdom against him. When the father fell into torpor, he called Marcus:
"Friend, something tells me dark times are coming. I want you to take care of the king until my return."
And so he left for his village, determined to wed Dagen before the storm was fully upon them. He knew that as the rightful heir to the throne, he would never have complete peace. But at least he could savor days of happiness by the side of the love of his life, before duties to Nannu would claim his destiny to the end.
It was winter when Mordret departed for the village of his beloved Dagen, so it took him a little longer than normal to arrive. As he approached the village with some men accompanying him, he saw that Dagen's village was ablaze. Fearing the worst, he spurred his horses to the site. The scene was one of destruction and sorrow. Among the rubble, lifeless bodies lay - there was no one left alive. Despair took Mordret as he ran to Dagen's house. There, he was confronted with an unspeakable brutality. Dagen was hanging suspended by her legs, naked and completely flayed like an animal. His cries echoed, calling the guards.
Gently, he wrapped the beloved body in his blue cloak. The pain in his gaze was immense, fueling his hatred for whoever had committed such evil. Determined to bury the dead with dignity, he departed in mourning. The snow covered the ashes of the village, but would not erase the memory of those who once lived there in peace. Amidst sadness, only the desire for justice warmed him. He would discover the culprit and make this a world of mercy for his people once more. But winter had already begun in his soul; only the spring of a new era could melt the darkness that had settled there.
Upon returning to the capital, Mordret still felt the pain of loss hovering over him. He brought a memento of Dagen, seeking answers. He summoned the wisest men in the kingdom in his pursuit of justice. However, none had power for such a deed. When the council moment arrived, among the allied nobles, Lord Johel Felwave spoke of a talent in his family:
"My eldest son Silvus masters a variation of blood magic. It will be enough with a drop from the victim for him to track the culprit, following their trail even after days."
Mordret saw in those words a light in the darkness. He thanked the Lord for such valuable information in his intent for vengeance. Resolute, he summoned Silvus to court, hoping his art could find whom he so desired to punish. But he knew in his heart that the pain would never be eased. Mordret felt that a part of him had been lost forever and that smiling now would never be spontaneous again.
Silvus needed time to prepare his ritual. These days were a torment for Mordret, consumed by grief and thirst for revenge. During this interim, a servant came seeking Mordret, saying the king was near the end. Accompanied by wife and daughter, he went to the royal bedside. There, before expiring, King Marion called him before the nobles. Surprising the queen, he consolidated Mordret as the rightful heir to the throne. Thwarting the woman's plan to crown her daughter, he reaffirmed Mordret as his successor. With that gesture, he hoped to spare the kingdom future disputes.
The time of farewell had come. The wise and innocent king had fulfilled his duty by ensuring the continuity of the reign. Mordret, although saddened, felt honored by such trust. The dark night brought the death of the father and the promise of a new dawn for the kingdom of Alnuum.
The day of coronation arrived. Mordret walked to the altar with elegance, fire in his eyes for a new era. Before the people and High Priest, he knelt to receive the sacred anointing. When the crown touched his head, the priest's shout echoed:
"Hail Mordret Lucius Artal Aquarion I, Emperor of Nannu and Lord of the City of Waters!"
The people acclaimed their new monarch in euphoria. He arose then to speak:
"For too long we have suffered under the oppression of corrupt nobles. Today this tyranny comes to an end!"
Cheers spread throughout the plaza. But Mordret continued:
"Nannu will no longer be a kingdom, but a great Empire!"
Then, Marcus knelt among the lords and exclaimed:
"All hail Emperor Mordret, lord of the Empire of Nannu and the City of Waters!"
His subjects repeated in unison, acclamation to the new guide of their destiny. Mordret saw in this scene the beginning of a new era of peace and justice under his imperial reign.
The next day, Mordret summoned the former queen. He offered her a truce and said her daughter would be treated as she deserved. But she scornfully denied him, preferring a cell to an alliance with a "bastard usurper." The guards reacted, but Mordret ordered them to let her go. That was when Silvus Felwave returned, bringing his discoveries: that blood was not spilled by someone from the neighboring kingdom, but from within the Empire. He revealed having seen through magic the moment of death of the owner of those clothes.
After Silvus' revelations, Mordret felt Dagen's loss once more. Silvus recounted that through his magic, he saw the moment when the owner of those clothes passed away. By detailing that she seemed to be trying on the clothes, as they would be worn at her wedding, Mordret understood it truly was Dagen. His beloved awaited to marry him, but had her life cruelly taken. This information made Mordret's pain resurface with even greater intensity. He had become but a shadow of the joyful young man he once was, tormented by longing and thirst for vengeance. Silvus continued revealing the killers' symbol - House Grimworm, loyal to the former king. Though Mordret wished for immediate justice, he knew he needed proof first.
After months of investigation, Mordret's spies found evidence linking the Grimworm to rebellions across several regions of the empire, including the attack on Dagen's village. Overcome with fury, Mordret went to the Armory and reclaimed what was his: the Wavebringer spear and Leviathan breastplate. He assembled thirty skilled warriors, including Marcus, and rode their horses to the Grimworm lands. Spotted by enemy sentinels, Mordret faced three thousand armed men. Still, he would not falter in his quest for justice. Despite exhaustion from the journey, they attacked with ferocity.
Mordret, mounted on Seadragon, led the vanguard, personally eliminating almost nine hundred. At last he found the leader. In a slow, cold revenge, he killed him in the same cruel way they did to Dagen, before the man's family. He ordered all with Grimworm blood to be hanged thereafter. That battle marked the end of a treacherous dynasty and the beginning of a new era under his implacable imperial rule.
The years passed. Mordret continued strengthening his empire, annexing rebellious provinces and establishing diplomats with neighboring tribes and kingdoms. Still, Volkorón posed a threat. Many were the battles, sometimes victorious, sometimes defeated by his most bitter enemy. With King Absalon aging, he wished to leave a legacy of peace for his son Vermilion. He requested an audience with Mordret to propose a deal - he would cede the borderlands in exchange for Mordret's sister Alexandria's hand in marriage at age fourteen. However, Mordret demanded the decision be hers.
Under influence of the former queen, the princess agreed. Thus, after years of conflict, peace finally came to the two realms. Mordret had succeeded in unifying the lands under his scepter and securing his people's safety. Though it pained him to separate from his sister, he understood this was the moment to seal the alliance and ensure generations of harmony along Nannu Empire's vast frontiers. In the year of the peace signing, Mordret inaugurated the Imperial Academy, meant to train the most gifted from across the Empire. Still, the counselors pressed for his succession. They knew his sister's sons would be of Heatak lineage, not Aquarion.
Mordret understood the importance of this, but would never love another as he loved Dagen. He decided to elevate another family instead - House Legra, owners of fertile farmlands supplying the people, ascended to nobility. Mordret gifted them with lands from the traitorous Grimworm. Thus, the Emperor secured the future without relinquishing the past. The Academy would be a new era's cradle of peace and progress under his reign, which had unified once warring peoples.
After redistributing the Grimworm lands among loyal nobles, Mordret yielded to the council's requests and agreed to meet Shiera Redgate, daughter of the Redgates. Her beauty rivaled only the skies in her gaze. At 22, she spoke much of herself, but Mordret remained silent in his mourning. Shiera did not relent, courting him for fourteen days. Until one day she shared:
"When I was younger, my father took me to the Water Festival arena, but I was bored and upset, I wanted to go home, I hate these kinds of things," she continued.
"But when I saw you fighting, and all the things you did, I felt that for me there could be no other man but you!" she said.
Mordret, the hero and emperor, was not surprised. But Shiera went on:
"When you came with the foreign woman and everyone admired you for it, I loved you even more, because I knew who you were, and I knew that if you chose her, it was because she was worthy!"
"When you lost her, I also felt it, I wanted to be near you, I wanted to show you that you could smile again."
"When your father died, I also felt it, I wanted to be by your side to tell you that I was certain you would be the greatest ruler of this empire."
"Now I have the chance to make all of it reality: to make you smile again."
Mordret understood - his heart was dead, but perhaps she could resurrect it. Shiera's virtue and compassion were rare. If anyone in this world could heal his wounds, it was her. In the face of such care and dedication, Mordret wed Shiera, making her the new Empress. After a year and a half, their firstborn son Morfrey was born. Then came Aster, and finally the twins Lilla and Relon, filling the palace with their childish laughter.
Mordret demonstrated his love for his wife and children. Still, he carried within him the weight of the Aquarion legacy and memory of the only one who had truly made him happy, even if but for a short time. Dagen lived on in his thoughts. Shiera understood that, despite the marriage, his heart would never belong to another. Thus, after so many battles and victories, of uniting peoples and bringing the long-dreamed peace, the Emperor found respite in his family. But he would never know true freedom, lost the moment he had his great love so cruelly torn from his embrace.