"I greet the Saviour of the Empire, the Morning Sun that has begun to rise." Greeted the Goddess with a seated bow.

"I praise the benevolent Goddess who blesses our land and people." Returned the future Empress, giving a slight head dip.

"What can I do for the knight about to become our nation's new leader? The coronation is in a few days. Are you here to ask me to be the one who does the blessing?" Inquired Marluna while she rested her chin on her left hand, eyeing Cherina.

"You are as wise as the legends claim. Yes, that is one of the reasons I am here, but I also have another request for you." The dark-haired woman chuckled a little as she spoke.

"Seeing as you will bring hope to the nation in the future, I will give you my blessing. As for your request, what is it? Do you want a constellation in the sky or the demise of your enemies?" asked the cheeky Goddess with a grin.

"Nothing of the sort. What I want is something simple. I want a drink made for my coronation, something with tea. Mint grows wonderful flowers, herbs, and fruits in her garden." Replied the Empress with a slightly dismissive wave.

Mint was at the shop counter making a drink when she heard this, and her cheeks flushed a strawberry red; her handles fumbled a little, and the drink nearly spilled out of the cup.

"You want something from my garden, Your Majesty? Me? Oh, I am so honored, but are you sure?" Cherina's words flustered Mint.

"My dear, I have faith in you. I would also like a little sparkle, which will wow the people. With that, I must now be off for other meetings related to the Coronation. I will take a very long nap once this is over." Cherina started to stand up as she spoke but was stopped by Marluna, who grabbed her arm.

"Empress Cherina, one day you will bring forth two stars who will shine together. One will be briefly darkened but saved by the pure light emanating from the other. The one who is saved will become a tempered shield for the star who will be the hope of tomorrow." With that, Marluna released her and rubbed her temples, the sudden prophecy giving her a headache.

"I should start preparing then if this is to be the case. Thank you, Great Goddess, for your vision." Cherina bowed deeply and pulled her hood over her face before leaving the shop.

Mint watched her leave in awe before the reality of her task hit her. She would have to make a tea for the Empress' grand coronation using what she had in her garden. The tiny daisies that sprouted from her hair wilted slightly due to the sudden stress before a warm hand rested on her head, instantly soothing her. It was Lloyd, and he patted her head gently, letting her know things were okay.

"You can do this, Mint; I will help you however I can. My guild finished its work earlier, so we have plenty of time to craft something special. Start by thinking of what flavors you want to serve Her Majesty, and then we can work on blending them." He said as he handed her a notebook and pen.

"I was thinking green tea, strawberry, mint, and maybe a little honey. For the shimmed, we could use edible gold." Mint quickly started scribbling down the blend, working out the ratios on paper. "It will be light, refreshing, and have a slight sweetness to it."

"That sounds delightful; let's gather the ingredients and start making a big enough batch." The red-haired dragon nodded, and they immediately headed to the garden.

The only two employees left in the cafe were Remi and a new hire named Mila, a member of the shapeshifting Musina tribe. She had a deeply bronzed skin tone and sported a pair of large, fluffy white fox ears and an equally fluffy tail. Her doe brown eyes looked slightly concerned as she realized she had been abandoned to finish the day alone. Sensing this, Remi immediately hopped behind the bar, giving her hand and flashing her a big smile. Mila's worried expression melted off her face, and she smiled back, the two quickly finding a rhythm to work together in sync. Marluna returned to her journal, where her prophecy appeared on the pages in shimmering images and she sighed heavily.

Meanwhile, Lloyd and Mint gathered the ingredients necessary for the tea in the garden. Usually, the nymph preferred to let her plants grow at their own pace, but given the timeline and the quantity needed, she sped up their growth and made them more abundant. Her magic made the daises in her hair grow massive, with one almost looking like a big sunhat on her head. The dragon couldn't help but chuckle at her new accessories, and she swatted at him playfully with a bunch of mints. She turned to grab a few more strawberries but stumbled, and Lloyd quickly grabbed her. The two were sharing a long look into each other's eyes.

"Ah, my apologies, miss; I was trying to prevent your fall. Are you alright?" He asked while steadying her before letting her go.

"Oh, uh, yes, I am alright." Stuttered Mint with a bright red face; she stared at the ground with embarrassment.

He placed a finger under her chin and gently tilted her face up, his eyes scanning her face momentarily before he pulled back. Without saying another word, they finished their work and headed towards the roastery to start drying the ingredients. They lay them out on a thin tray layer, and Mint stepped back while Lloyd carefully used his fire to draw out the moisture. It did not take long for the mixture to be done, and the test brewed a batch using water heated to 180 degrees. The air was filled with a sweet, fragrant aroma, and just as it was done, Remi appeared with a glass of ice. 

"This would be best iced, especially since it is summer." She said with a confident nod, her braids bouncing slightly.

"We should cool it first, or the ice will melt, and it will be watered down. Will you do the honors, Remi?" Lloyd took the teapot and held it before Remi's mouth.

The young dragon took a small breath and slowly breathed on the pot, the steam turning to ice dust. He then poured the tea over the ice, and Mint added honey syrup, which she had mixed with edible gold dust. The drink shimmered like a meadow in the sunlight, and when they tasted it, they felt energized and refreshed. The trio immediately started bagging the tea; most of it would be brewed for the customers, but special bags would also be sold to commemorate the coronation. Mint dubbed it the Morning Sun Tea, after Cherina's royal title.

A few days later, the parade route leading to Ruler's Path had a large crowd lining it to the Imperial Palace. The blessing would occur in the Town Square, right in front of the shop, before the Empress would then begin her parade around the city. Inside, the staff was hard at work brewing a massive batch of the Morning Sun Tea, and the counter was lined with glasses for people to take and keep. The Empress had generously paid for all of the drinks so the townspeople could enjoy the tea, the glasses being something Mila came up with the day the tea was being made. The shop was bursting with townspeople quickly grabbing their drinks before going outside, and the Blessing was nearly starting. Once everyone had been served, the staff quickly cleaned up and headed back to climb the roof. From there, they watched as the Goddess Marluna made her grand entrance before the Empress kneeling.

Marluna summoned a Holy Sword and a Holy Shield, bestowing both to Cherina to honor her bravery and noble act of uniting the kingdoms who had long suffered under the tyranny of the previous Emperor. She had been a Royal Knight who chose to rebel to save her people and won, the old ruler being exiled to an island surrounded by Warrior Merfolk. The High Priest then handed the Royal Crown and Scepter to the Goddess so that she could bless the new Sun. Marluna placed the crown on Empress Cherina's head and placed the scepter in her hands; she then covered those hands with her own.

"I bless thee, Empress Cherina Mignotte Platina Marluna, the new Sun of this great empire and its savior. You will have a lasting legacy for many generations, and your dynasty will be one of innovation and inspiration. I bless this country with wealth and abundance. May the people prosper and be a guiding light to all they meet. Long may you reign. All hail the new Empress!" Boomed Marluna, her hands glowing with pure white divine light as she cast the blessing.

The ground beneath them glowed brightly, and the people cheered, a joyous chorus of "All Hail the Empress, All Hail the Goddess" ringing through the streets. The Goddess stepped back, giving the new Empress space to stand and address her people. As her face rose to look at the crowd before her, Cherina smiled and stood confidently while she spoke.

"Our period of suffering is now over; together, we will create a peaceful and strong nation. We shall always stand united and support one another as equals. I will support this country and do my best as your leader to ensure we never experience that darkness again." She pumped her fist in the air as she finished her brief speech, signaling for the carriage to approach.

After she seated herself in the carriage, Cherina turned to Marluna and held out her hand, inviting her to join her. The lilac-haired Goddess shook her head and mouthed, saying this was her moment. The monarch smiled, then took off on her parade, waving to the people as she rode past them. The townspeople threw flowers at her and sang, their merriment spreading as she inched closer to the palace. Eventually, she disappeared behind the gates that separated the Rulers Path and the Imperial Palace from the city's main street, the cheers slowly fading in the distance.

There was an ongoing party in the streets for a week, and the cafe was kept busy with visitors and locals. Marluna had to attend a few banquets and balls but eventually she could return to the shop and peacefully exist in her corner. Once things quieted down, the shop closed for a couple of weeks so the staff could take a well-deserved break and recover from the chaos. Not long after the shop reopened, a unique person walked into their business to send them on an adventure. She wore short pink wizard robes and a giant pink pointy hat, but bother was covered with silver runes that seemed to glow like moonlight. She had short, curly, light pink hair, and perched on her shoulder was a sizeable shimmering butterfly.

"Hey hey, how's it going?! I am the Great Pink Wizard!" She exclaimed with raised arms, silver magic popping from her fingertips.

Marluna's eye twitched a little, and she groaned; she did not have enough social battery for this one. Remi, who had been napping in front of the fireplace as a tiny wyvern, grumbled in her sleep and blew some ice fire at the wizard. The wizard just grinned and then pulled out a mysterious map. This was going to be quite the story for the journal.