"YOU'RE GOING to abandon your last name 'Moonchester?'" Soleil asked Kalel. Right now, they were having tea in the rose garden. It was their "first morning" as husband and wife. She hoped that Kalel didn't notice but she kept looking at their wedding rings made of his ice. And she would smile secretly each time because it was proof that they really got married last night. "Why would you want to change your name, Lord Kalel?"

"To protect Auro's reign," Kalel said with a serious look on his face. "I am the oldest son and therefore, I should have been the king. But since I was never interested in the throne, I quietly stepped down as a prince. Still, there are people using my existence to threaten Auro's reign."

​​

"I thought they already gave up when you left Kale Kingdom?"

He shook his head. "When the news of our marriage reached the Royal Capital, the Anti-Royal Faction brought up my existence again to question Auro's position. My brother was able to ascend the throne because of his father's untimely death. But by doing so, he bypassed one important law that the other kings had followed in the past."

"What law is that?"

"A king must be married and produce an heir within three years."

Ah, now she understood.

Now that Kalel was married, he had become more "fit" to rule the kingdom in the eye of the people who didn't like Auro as a king. But does her husband really have to change his name for that?

"Lord Kalel, I hope you don't mind my asking," she said carefully. "But why can't King Auro just find a lady to marry? He's young, good-looking, and a logical ruler. I'm sure there are a lot of ladies from decent households who want to marry him."

She knew that Auro Moonchester wasn't all that but until she was certain that Kalel would choose her side, she'd avoid bad-mouthing the king.

After all, it seems like Lord Kalel is very attached to Auro Moonchester.

"Auro wants to marry because of love and not for politics," he said, then he laughed softly. "He could be sentimental like that sometimes."

She just smiled even though her heart broke a little when she realized something.

As of now, Lord Kalel will choose Auro Moonchester over me.

She would have to work harder to make her husband love her more than he loved his little brother.

I guess this is worse than Lord Kalel having a mistress.

"I want Auro to marry for love the same way I did," Kalel said softly, then he held her hand and brought it near his lips without breaking eye contact. "Because I want my brother to experience the joy of being married to the woman he loves."

After saying those sweet words, he kissed her knuckles.

Of course, that was enough to make her blush.

"Do you want something?" she asked, her cheeks still probably as red as a tomato. "Something's telling me that you're being this sweet because you have a favor to ask."

"I do have a favor that I want to ask but that's not the reason why I'm being sweet," he said smoothly. Then, he gently caressed her warm cheek with the back of his hand. "Is it wrong to dote on my wife?"

She smiled because she liked hearing him call her his wife.

"Stop with the sweet nothings," she said. She'd die of happiness if Kalel won't stop making her feel giddy. "What is the favor that you want to ask, Lord Kalel?"

"I'd like to return to the Royal Capital for a while," he said, now more serious than a while ago. He still held her hands gently though. "I want to ask Auro to give me the Grand Duke title and make my territory an independent state."

She gasped when she heard that. "An independent state?!"

He nodded firmly. "Thus, I need to change my name. Once I become a Grand Duke of my own state, the Anti-Royal Faction could no longer use me as a tool to question Auro's reign."

"But do you think King Auro would grant you a title and an independent state?"

"Of course," Kalel said confidently. "After all, we are brothers."

Soleil could only smile sadly for her husband's complete trust to his evil brother.

Don't worry, Lord Kalel– I will save you from Auro Moonchester.

***

"YOU'RE GOING to use 'Nystrom' as your last name, Brother?"

"Yes," Kalel told his brother while they were having a break from their sparring. "I want to use my first name in the past as my last name in this lifetime."

Auro was in the middle of practicing his swordsmanship when he arrived at the palace.

His brother asked him to join him for sparring. Of course, not after asking his guards to leave the training ground. They wouldn't be able to fight properly if he had the royal knights around them because they would definitely arrest him as soon as he pointed a sword at his brother.

He was confident that Auro wouldn't let his knights arrest him, but still, he didn't want that kind of troublesome thing to happen.

Most of the people who serve my brother are wary of me after all.

"Brother, you know the three conditions that you need to fulfill for establishing a recognized state, don't you?" Auro asked. "You need a territory, leaders, and people. The North region is already yours, and I could give you and your wife the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess title respectively. But you need people. Where will you get them? Your territory has been empty because people thought it was inhabitable due to the unending snowstorm in that land."

"Soleil and I already discussed it before I left," he said, then he drank water from the vial before he continued. "My wife and I decided to let the orphans of the previous war live in my territory. Most of them worship the Supreme Fire Mage and the Black Serpent anyway."

"Ah, I see."

He was surprised by his brother's seemingly lack of interest in the topic.

After all, he honestly thought that Auro would easily support his decision. It was for him anyway.

"Is there a problem, Auro?"

"I don't mind giving you your independence, Brother," Auro said. "But I'm afraid that the people who support me would see it as a rebellion from you. Having an independent state while the kingdom has just recovered from war is a little…"

Ah, he didn't see it from that perspective.

"I understand," he said because he didn't want to put his brother in a tight spot. "Then, would you at least allow me to live in the North with my wife? I also wanted to bring the orphans with us as soon as possible. Our official independence can wait, but I hope you grant us the permission to move to my territory."

Finally, his brother's face lit up. "Of course, Brother."

He nodded. "Thank you."

"Ah," the king said as if he remembered something. And he turned serious once again. "Brother, I also have a favor to ask of you. Actually, it's a favor for Lady Soleil. But I want you to hear it first. Is that okay?"

"Go ahead."

"I actually need to borrow the bracelet that she received from the Sky God," his brother said in an embarrassed tone. "Ever since the news of your marriage spread, the rumor about the present that the Sky God handed to the Supreme Fire Mage also spread like wildfire."

It didn't surprise him anymore.

After all, there were priests and priestesses who could receive visions from gods. They might have been the ones behind the spread of the news.

Was Auro affected by that news…?

"I know it's not Lady Soleil's fault but because of the present that she received from the Sky God, it did a number on my reputation as a king," his brother said, his face now red with embarrassment. "But it would really help me protect my position if the people of Kale Kingdom see that I have a strong connection with the Beast Priestess and the Beast Gods. I thought that if the bracelet is put under my care for a short while, my reputation will improve. Is it too much to ask of Lady Soleil, Brother?"

"Of course not," he said. "I understand your grievances, Auro. But of course, we still have to ask for her permission. After all, the bracelet was a gift for her."

His brother looked saddened by that.

"Don't worry, Auro," Kalel said, then he patted his brother's back. "Soleil is a lot kinder than I am so I'm sure she'll lend you a hand."

Auro's smile finally returned. "Thank you, Brother."

***

SOLEIL almost choked when she saw the blueprint that her brother laid on the table.

The mansion in the blueprint was huge, and it looked luxurious. Although the Rosenberg clan was rich, they didn't really spend a lot of money on things that they didn't deem necessary. Like a house to live in.

Our Royal Palace is a lot more modest than the other ones existing in the continent.

"Brother," Soleil said, then she looked up at her brother who looked smug at the moment. "Are you saying that you're going to build that huge mansion for me and Lord Kalel?"

"I hope you're not thinking that we don't have the money for that, my dear sister," Winchell said, then he crossed his arms over his chest. "Although the Rosenberg clan was taught to live humbly, that doesn't mean we don't have the wealth to compete with other kingdoms. I can build ten more mansions as massive as that one and our wealth would remain abundant."

"But…"

"We weren't able to give you a grand wedding so let us give you a grand mansion instead," her brother insisted. "Moreover, your husband's territory is in the North and it's known for its cold weather. We, Fire Mages, should be the ones to build a comfortable home for you, Soleil."

She smiled at her brother's thoughtfulness. "Thank you, Brother. I thought you'd be completely against my wedding with Lord Kalel."

"You're not wrong," he said sternly. "But leaders like us have duties to fulfill. And your duty is to give birth to the Moon Serpent."

She scowled at that.

"I know that it sounds inhumane," Winchell continued seriously. "But I only allowed that to happen because I know that you're in love with the Black Serpent."

She hadn't forgotten that it was the real purpose of her marriage with Kalel.

But it was still saddening to hear that.

Soleil smiled anyway. "I understand, Brother Wixx."

***

IT ONLY took a year for the grand mansion in the North to be built.

Since it was filled with spirit stones made by the Fire Mages of their clan, their mansion was warm despite the cold weather outside.

But she couldn't appreciate the mansion yet because tonight…

It's my first night with Lord Kalel.

For the past year, they weren't able to consummate their marriage because both of them got very busy.

Kalel was in charge of taking care of the legal process of turning his territory into a recognized duchy. Unfortunately, her husband had to stay in the Royal Capital for that.

On the other hand, she was in charge of helping the orphans they planned to bring to their duchy to have their legal papers register to the empire so they would be recognized as its citizens.

Thus, this would be their first night together.

"Soleil, are you ready?" Kalel, who was on top of her, asked while looking at her with glowing eyes. She could tell that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Moreover, the hardness poking at her hip right now was a firm evidence. "Are you sure?"

Soleil nodded, then she closed her eyes. "I'm ready, Lord Kalel."

Who would have thought that despite the preparations she took not to get pregnant right away, they were still able to conceive the Moon Serpent that night?

***

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