“I don’t want to celebrate anything,” Zarian started to cry, “everything is gone.”

“What do you mean?” Antoni ran his fingers through Zarian’s curls, getting caught in knots as he did.

“Serce has been destroyed has it not?”

“No? Emperor Myran has taken control but the castle still stands. The rightful Prince and Princess… oh and Princess of Serce,” Antoni gestured to Sidra who was now in the arms of the royal physician as Mads hovered nearby, clearly wanting to stay near the baby, “are here and alive in Castle Nouvelle. The future King of Nouvelle has returned,” Antoni nodded at me and I reached over to squeeze his shin softly, making him smile, “as has the next in line Princess Celeste. Everyone is safe.”

“Half of the village was nearly destroyed,” Leon sighed softly, helping Red into a chair who had never calmed, Peri holding her tightly around the shoulders, “Jothen has healed enough to return and wage a siege on Nouvelle. Well, he was. He is dead now. His head is floating in the river as we speak.”

“Is that why you reek of blood?” Chevalier sighed.

“Yes. We lost four homes, one shop, and multiple horses but none of the citizens. None of our soldiers. Their army is severely depleted. At least that part of it. Myran has plenty still in Alanin and around Wickersham Forest. He’s also stolen half of the Serceian army that bowed to his command from fear. The other half are dead and have been since… I am sorry, Prince Zarian. Your father is dead.”

“I know,” Zarian nodded, his eyes closing once again as Antoni pampered him with gentle touches, trying to keep him calm, “they threw his body into my cell for a few days. But his head…”

“Is on a spike on the gates of Serce Castle,” Red hiccuped, “Mother… threw herself over the Dundarian Cliffs once you were gone. I was going to follow suit the day that they killed Father and I discovered that Myran was going to attempt to take me as his bride. But Leon saved me. I’ve been living in Nouvelle for years alongside him and Peri. We’re getting married now that Ezra has returned.”

“I’m glad you’re happy, Hortencia,” Zarian gritted his teeth, “but I’m not. You all abandoned me for years. For fucking years!” he shouted, slamming his fist onto the floor, “you didn’t even fucking try to find me! Did you? Did any of you even bother to look?”

“I searched every inch of Serce,” Red smacked her hand onto the table she was sitting at, “every part of Alanin I could get into without getting myself killed. I tried Zari. You are my little brother and I scoured as hard as I could for you! I was nearly killed so many times and you want to scream about us not trying to find you?”

“I think we need to calm down,” Chevalier’s voice boomed through the throne room and all of us froze, staring at him, “Antoni and Ezra?”

“Yes, Father?” I nodded, gripping Antoni’s leg tightly.

“Please take Prince Zarian to his room. We have had one set up this entire time in the hope of his return. Antoni, can you attend to him for now? Bathe him, feed him, things like that.”

“I don’t want a man touching me. Absolutely not,” Zarian shook his head and Antoni leaned down, whispering something in his ear that none of us could hear, “Oh… really?”

“Yes,” Antoni smiled, “I can do the same for you if you wish.”

“Please. But not right now.”

“Very well. I am going to do as you asked, Your Majesty,” Antoni nodded at Chevalier, “Prince Ezra?”

“Hm?”

“Can you take Mads to the tailor's office? He knows the location. We need clothing for Prince Zarian.”

“Of course. I will return when I can. Where is his room located?”

“As Princess Celeste is to the left of yours, Prince Zarian and Princess Sidra will be to the right. That is your wing of the castle. We thought it best to keep all of you together. I live in my cottage. Morgan stays in the nursery. If you wish, Prince Zarian, once she is awake, we can move Sidra into the nursery with my sister and the other babies that live in the castle.”

“No. She stays with me. Or with Princess Celeste. I want her to stay on the same level of the castle as me,” Zarian shook his head, looking over at Sidra, “I’ve never heard her cry. She has been asleep since the moment she was born. Jothen cursed her. So that they wouldn’t be forced to care for a baby.”

“Is Jothen her parent?” I whispered.

“They are the one that created her, yes. I do not… I am incapable of loving her. I cannot look at her but I do not want anything to happen to her either. However,” Zarian turned his head, staring at his lap, “she was killing me. Draining my magic and life force slowly to ensure she stayed alive. It is not her fault, I cannot blame her for that as it was a curse that Jothen placed upon her. It has broken with their death. But… it would be best to place her with someone else. I do not wish to be her parent. I never wanted her.”

“Zarian…”

“Do not ask me to care for and love a child that was forced upon me. I understand that there are some parents in the land who have suffered a similar circumstance and can love their children. But I cannot. She is the reason I no longer have magic. She drained all of it from me. I am barely alive. I no longer have my spirit.”

“He’s telling the truth,” Antoni sighed softly, pressing two of his fingers to the nape of Zarian’s neck, “any magic he once held has been drained. There is very little left.”

“Can’t I simply bestow it back? There surely is a small line of it left?” I took Zarian’s hand and he raised his head to look at me, his blood-red eyes filled with tears.

“A bit yes. But his spirit is shattered. His soul is in fragments. There is no way to fix that.”

“But what do we do with Sidra?” Leon sighed, going over to look at her, “She looks so much like… oh fuck I have an idea.”

“My daughter is right here, Leon,” I glared at him, “please watch your language.”

“I forgot I apologize. Zarian? May I take your daughter?”

“Excuse me?” Zarian whipped his head to the side, staring at Leon, “You are the Devil’s Lion. What in the world could you have need of a child for? You have Hortencia. Put one in her.”

“I cannot have biological children. Neither can Peri. Red could but she wouldn’t stray. Sidra looks nearly identical to Red as she is your sister. Give her to us. Allow us to raise her as the next Duchess of Serce. You are now the King of Serce. It is your decision, however.”

“I relinquish my claim to the throne to King Chevalier and declare that all land in Serce be passed to Nouvelle when the war is over. I wish to live my life in Nouvelle in a small home in the village or somewhere here on the castle grounds. I am in no mental or physical position to ever rule. However, I am more than happy to step into an advisory or tactical role for the Kingdom of Nouvelle. If you would have me when I am whole, King Chevalier.”

“You are welcome to serve Nouvelle as our trade captain,” Chevalier nodded, “you have always had a mind for economics and diplomacy. We have discovered many small islands and there are two entire lands we were unaware of across the sea. We would like to start relations and trade with them when our land is healed. This is why we need to think of a name for the united kingdoms of Nouvelle, Serce, and Alanin once we can take control once again.”

“Tadreprospera,” Celeste smiled and I turned to look at her, “what?”

“Where in the world did you pull that from?”

“Nowhere,” she shrugged, “I made it up. Tadre means peace here right?”

“It can yes,” Antoni smiled.

“And Prospera is a word from the Land of Reason. It means to prosper. I remember it from a book Papa read to me.”

“So… Tadreprospera would mean Peace and Prosper. I quite like it,” Peri giggled, “you’re very intelligent, Celeste.”

“Thank you, Auntie Peri!”

“I will write a decree when the war has passed that Serce and Nouvelle will be joined as one, Alanin shall be on its own, having to learn to govern without an emperor. Secre shall become a Dukedom under the control of Duke Leon the Brave and Duchesses Hortencia the Valiant and Peregine the Songstress. Nouvelle will remain a kingdom under the rule of King Ezra the Gentle and Wickersham Forest will gain its own Dukes, Duke Robin, and Duke Oleano. I will entrust the Forest to the two of you and your… many children that roam my castle,” Chevalier gestured to Robin and Mads, “Next, Zarian shall serve as our Lord of Trade and Commerce, allowed to live where he chooses, be it Nouvelle or Secre. The combined lands will be called Tadrepropera per Princess Celeste and I will remove myself from my throne when things have calmed. Finally,” he turned to Antoni who swallowed thickly, “Antoni shall serve as Ezra’s main advisor as well as a teacher of diplomacy to any royal children that are born. I would ask that even when this happens, the four of you continue your stations as they have been now to teach the next generations of Nouvelle and Secre. I would also ask that Ezra step into his role as a teacher of archery.”

“I would like to teach as well,” Zarian nodded, gripping Antoni’s arm, “if I may.”

“What subject?”

“Etiquette and dance. You as well as I know that dance is important to the land. I was the most graceful of all dancers in Secre and Nouvelle. Once I regain my ability to walk, I will be able to dance again.”

“Very well. We need someone who can assist Princess Celeste after all.”

“Thank you. Now, may I please bathe and eat? I am exhausted and would like to rest. It has been a rough many years and I am still struggling to believe that I am safe.”

“Absolutely. I appreciate your patience as we solved these issues. Can you get to your feet?”

“No.”

“Would you be against someone carrying you?”

“No.”

“I will,” nodding, I gently picked up Zarian, cradling him in my arms and I could feel a pain in my heart at how unhealthy light he was, even with the slender frame that he had, “Celeste. Stay with Uncle Robin. Mads, I will meet you in the tailoring room. Antoni. Come along.”

“Yes my liege,” Antoni nodded.

Antoni led me down the hall as I carried Zarian who had rested his head against my chest, his arms around my neck. We reached the hall that held the bedrooms and I gently laid Zarian in his bed, Antoni  rushing into the restroom to begin a bath and I was grateful to know that technology had advanced enough while I was away for the castle to have proper indoor plumbing.

“Ezra?” Zarian studied me, “Are you going to marry Antoni?”

“I don’t know,” I sat on the side of his bed, “in the Land of Reason I was married to a horrendous woman. She would hurt me. Belittle me. Treat me as if I was lesser than her. Not as if I was her equal. I was a chef. I’m a wonderful cook. But she made me think my food tasted like garbage and the restaurant I ran was disgusting.”

“What is a restaurant?”

“Um… a tavern?”

“Ah. Okay,” he nodded, “is the Land of Reason beautiful?”

“Yes. But so is Nouvelle in its own right. The Land of Reason has so many lands. There are 7 massive ones with hundreds of countries, countries are similar to the kingdoms here, and everyone has different values and views. Everything is controlled by how much… hm… money? Uh… oh! Ospira. That’s what it’s called here. Ospira controls everything in the Land of Reason. You couldn’t simply build a home if you needed one. You worked yourself to death. There was no peace. It was stressful and painful. Those without homes are treated as lesser, never receiving any help, even those who gave up everything for wars. It was depressing.”

“Are you glad to have left?”

“To have come home finally? Yes. I am meant to be in Nouvelle, Zari. I know that I am.”

“Good. Welcome home,” he cracked a small smile and I returned it, “You are so beautiful now, Ezra. That minuscule child I ran around with is now a full-fledged man with massive shoulders. My goodness, you’re large. Leon is beyond massive, unhealthily so, but your form is wonderful. Proportional. I want to paint you.”

“You were always very good at art,” I laughed softly as Antoni came into the room before I had a sudden thought, “Art therapy,” I whispered to myself and they both looked at me confused, “Sorry. In the Land of Reason, people had to learn ways to cope with the things that happened to them. How to heal from their pain. Art therapy is one of those ways. It’s a way to express your pain positively. I think it would be good for you. You never have to explain what your paintings mean, but it will give you the ability to express your feelings.”

“I wish to give it a try,” Zarian nodded.

“When you’re healthy, my… I have no idea how to refer to you, I apologize,” Antoni bowed.

“He’s a Lord,” I smiled, “Lord Zarian.”

“You’re deciding for me then?” Zarian laughed, “It’s nice that talking doesn’t hurt. Your daughter is powerful.”

“She is. Apparently. That’s the first time she’s healed someone. But she knows what you mean to Red and to me so she did what she felt was right and it worked. The first royal born in 200 years that can do healing magic. And she was born in Arizona,” I smiled, “it’s a small part of a country in the Land of Reason. The landscape is similar to Alanin. Desert.”

“Gross. What would you say Nouvelle is similar to in the Land of Reason?”

“The Western Coast. Mountains, large trees, seas, and rivers. Serce is… Canada? It snows there more than it does in Nouvelle. So it’s freezing in comparison. Did the original Alice leave a record of where she was from?”

“A place called… England?” Antoni tilted his head to the side, “is that near Arizona?”

“No,” I laughed softly, “it is across an entire ocean. An ocean is a massive sea.”

“How do people cross them by ship?”

“They used to. But there are these… hm… metal birds made with technology that can move people over an entire ocean in a few hours. They move massively fast. I was telling you about a car after all. A fast horse.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“Do you prefer Nouvelle?” Zarian slowly sat up, still shaking as it was clear he hadn’t properly moved in many years.

“I will always prefer Nouvelle. My family is here. My true family. No one will realize Celeste and I are gone.”

“That’s sad.”

“Probably. But I have reached a point of not caring. Now, Antoni shall help you bathe, I’ll send someone to make you a gentle meal, and Mads and I will make you clothes. Then you can rest. You’re safe now, Zarian.”

“Thank you. Both of you. For bringing me home.”

“I’m sorry it took so long,” I whispered, softly touching his cheek, “but things will be okay now.”

“I believe you.”