The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

Amber smiled and picked up her teacup, inhaling the aroma of black tea and orange. "Freya is a very likeable person."

"Indeed." Lavender smiled and took off her shoes. She then put her feet into the cold water of a small rivulet and sighed with pleasure. "Despite her age, she is like Aoi: cheerful and carefree. It is as if she stayed the way she was in her previous life; alas, I can't say much about her back then..."

Amber looked at the Dryad's legs in terror and shivered from the cold just by looking at her. After a moment, she fixed her wreath and slowly shrugged. "She is pure and honest; that's why she easily gains our friendship. I'm glad that Theon saved her."

Lavender nodded. "Yet, I heard from Hestia about Aoi's doubts."

Amber sighed slightly and put away the teacup. "It's nothing strange, to be honest. I would probably feel the same if not for encouraging Theon to take more wives." This time, it was Lavender who gave Amber an incredulous look.

"A man like Theon is rare." The Dryad playfully splashed the water with her feet, but she had a thoughtful expression and delighted smile. "It's not shocking that you want him only for yourself sometimes."

"Well, exactly. Sometimes is a keyword here." Amber took a deep breath. "If he were someone less extraordinary, like a simple hero roaming the lands of Aderon, fighting evil creatures and saving people, I would personally kill any woman daring to step between him and me."

"But he is not just a hero," Lavender chuckled, covering her face slightly.

"He hates that title." Amber snorted and rolled her eyes. "But no matter if he calls himself a Champion, he was and always will be the Hero for all the people of Arcadia. However, that's not the point. He is not just a hero, but he is the Hero-King. A Dungeon Core who possesses knowledge beyond our dreams. He is, most likely, the last reincarnated hero who has proved to us all that change is possible, giving us a brighter future. He never yielded to anyone or feared any enemy. I... I was afraid, Lavender."

"You were afraid of him?" The Dryad Queen turned towards Amber so abruptly that she almost slipped into the shallow water.

"Never!" Amber waved her hands in front of her and shook her head. "You got it wrong."

Lavender fixed her dress and sat more comfortably on the grass. "So what did you fear?"

"I was afraid of the responsibility and expectations, not the ones he might have had, but of those who inevitably would surround him in the future." Amber sighed. "I knew that he was powerful and that one day he would create a great kingdom, but I never imagined it would be anything close in size and might of Arcadia, Lavender. I was thinking about smaller countries like Hilgvar or Iceleon, and I was afraid that one day I would find myself under the scrutinising gaze of foreign nobles or royalty. I was afraid to shoulder that responsibility alone, Lavender."

"But..." the Dryad hesitated. "You would have him."

"Yes, I would. Until the day I would ruin everything for myself, for him, or for the entire kingdom..." Amber sighed bitterly and folded her legs under her. "I wasn't born to be a Queen like you or raised and taught how to be a good wife of a noble like Irene."

"No one is born to be a good queen or is raised to be one, Amber." Lavender frowned, but her voice was full of understanding.

"Maybe not, but that's something the royals and nobles tell everyone." Amber wrapped her arms around her legs and put her cheek on her knees with a sad sigh. "I simply believed that."

"Well..."

"Don't. Besides, the truth changes nothing." Amber sighed again. "I could have been his wife, and trust me, I love him. But he became a king, and I was afraid to be a queen. It was all fine when he was hailed as the King of Avalon, and we had like ten subjects. It might have been a harmless game back then, but the ranks of the people willing to bet everything they had on him grew. I felt their gazes full of hope: they begged me to save their families and relatives. While he was the mighty Hero who ruled with might and mercy, he was someone those people couldn't relate to, finding it hard to even talk to or beg for the slightest favour. But I was different; I was just like them. They saw me as the only person who they could beg for mercy. I couldn't shoulder those gazes, knowing I couldn't help them, Lavender. Despite what everyone imagined, I was powerless to help anyone."

"So you simply resigned from his unconditional love, from being his one and only wife?"

"I never resigned from his love. Don't imagine too much, sister." Amber chuckled, seeing a playful twinkle in Lavender's eye. "But I was willing to share. So here we are. With each new wife, Theon's power grows. Not only literally, because he gained a class and many other benefits, but he also grows as a person and a king."

"I wasn't going to deny that, but you do realise that one day we have to say that's it?" Lavender's smile hardened.

"I know." Amber nodded. "And I believe that time is near."

"So tell me, the First Queen of Arcadia, the first of equals, how many more women would your heart tolerate before it breaks?"

"I..."

"Amber..." Lavender sighed softly and slowly approached Amber. She sat near the Half-Elf and hugged her. "It's going to be the same with you as it was with Aoi. But while Aoi is extremely skilled in masking her emotions, and it's unlikely that Theon will ever guess she had a moment of doubt, you are different. Unlike Aoi, you weren't hiding your true feelings for your entire life."

"Oh, Lavender..." Amber started crying, feeling that the shell she built was rapidly cracking. "What should I do?"

"Stop pretending that it's fine."

"Would that be enough?"

"Only time will tell." Lavender shook her head. "You both must tell him the truth. You and Aoi."

"Do I really have to...?" Amber hugged her tighter and allowed her tears to fall.

"Yes. Even though you know there will be another woman sooner or later, he has to know before he hates himself for not saying no. He won't forgive himself for hurting you or any of us. He tries to be responsible in his love, but I see how that spreads him thin. Yes, he is a powerful king and wonderful husband, but he is still lost in the unfamiliar reality of our world. He subconsciously feels that you expect him to take more wives and doesn't want to disappoint you!" Lavender sighed. "I'm not blind, Amber. I know that you have already prepared a spot for Cassmira and Cahrona. Who would be next, sister? Mia or Tia Francesca of Hilgvar? Maybe both of them? Princess Theresa of Iceleon? Princess Roannia of Aclium? Or maybe some randomly found woman? Why are you doing this to yourself and the man you love?"

"I..." Amber sobbed quietly, powerless to voice what drove her to such a corner. "Pathetic, isn't it? Just moments ago, I explained to Aoi that nothing happened, only to cry for the same very reason..."

"Don't say that. You played enough with fate, Amber." The Dryad Queen sighed slightly. "If you won't tell him, I will."

"Please, Lavender! I will do it on my own. Just give me some time," Amber begged, panic in her voice. "I promise I would never allow anyone undesirable to join our family, but I just feel I can't stop it yet."

"What do you mean?" Lavender frowned and slowly exhaled the air. "What about Freya? You couldn't possibly know that she was a good person."

Amber looked away, avoiding the Dryad's eyes.

"The future is clouded and full of turmoil..." Amber sighed and shrugged. "According to Blair, Ru'ilia Na'laar had the gift of prophecy, which was why she was never captured. I believe him because I sometimes have a feeling of reliving something again. It's not exactly a vision; it's more like a feeling of unshaken certainty about people and events. It's not a skill I could prove, but it's just something that helped me through my entire life. The only time I doubted this instinct was when I was sacrificed to the Blood Dungeon. But Theon saved me. How could I doubt it after that?"

"I believe you..." Lavender's voice was soft. "But you must stop this before you ruin yourself, Amber. But you have to talk with Theon."

"I promise I will, but not now. I have a feeling that our family is not complete yet, and if I stop it now, something terrible will happen." Amber replied sheepishly, after which she looked into the Dryad's deep, green eyes. "Are you fine with this, Lavender? Are you okay with sharing Theon?"

"I'm not sharing him with any of you, my Dear." Lavender smiled softly and tucked a strand of Amber's hair behind the Half-Elf's ear. "You all are just my sisters. In my head, he is mine and only mine, and I enjoy all his love, and no one can change my mind on that."

•••

"I wonder how long it will take before another war drags us down." I sighed slowly after I read Ban's preparedness report. "The situation in the south looks awful, and we have the hostile Dungeon coalition in the northwest."

"It's hard to imagine anyone stupid enough to attack such a big country as Arcadia." The Lord General smiled briefly. "But the Dungeon Coalition is the most threatening right now, I believe."

"You clearly underestimate the stupidity of some people," I laughed dryly. "Still, I like the numbers you presented."

Ban smiled and fixed himself in the chair. "Thank you, my Lord."

"I see that you expect the Guardsmen to improve in the following years."

"Indeed, my Lord! As we both know, the current Academy program is just the basic of basics, and the new Guardsmen are far from the standards you or I want them to have. However, I would simply like to rotate them, and once we have enough people, we can allow them to finish their studies properly."

"That's a good idea." After hearing such simple words, I carefully agreed, but they sounded extremely exotic when put together in this context. There are never enough people...

"Still, the former soldiers are the proper backbone for the kids that joined recently." Ban grinned and took out another report. "Once, they were disgusted by themselves, but now they have completely changed. They are worshipping the ground you walk on, my Lord. They all learn by heart every single line from the manuals and handbooks we distributed to them. I'm willing to bet some good money that they would be far more experienced than some of the Academy teachers."

"I saw those reports... While I'm glad they are so eager to be such professionals, I'm slightly worried about their dedication."

"It's better this way, my Lord." Ban smiled slightly. "You gave them dignity and honour; for that, they will guard Arcadia with their life."

"I... I accept that, Ban." I sighed and skimmed the report he handed me. "Hmmm... You requested five logistical airships?"

"The short answer is yes."

"I prefer the long one, but I guess the answer still is yes."

"Sort of?" Ban grinned and moved his hands up and down as if he weighed two things in them. "I need these ships to support the Guardsmen Corp operations, and I know that the Navy is way too busy. I don't even need the next-generation ships."

"Next-generation ships?" I asked, slightly amused.

"Ships like Dauntless or Sabre class destroyers, my Lord," Ban explained. "The simple airships are fine. I will need them only temporarily; once the railroads are completed, magi-trains will take over the logistics."

"Hmmm... I think I could transfer a few brigs under your command, but I'm afraid I can't spare any bigger ships." I rubbed my cheek.

"That would be enough, my Lord." Ban nodded happily.

"In that case, I'll forward your request to Janet with my approval. Let's see what she has to say."

Ban grimaced a bit but wasn't protesting. Luna was calmly reading some security reports and completely ignored our discussion. As I started asking less formal questions, the doors to the room opened, and Eva walked in, looking quite concerned.

"My Lord, the Third and Fourth Legion commanders reported suspicious activity in the shadow land. I believe you should immediately address those reports."

I quickly closed my eyes and focused on the Legates of my Legions. In an instant, undiluted knowledge was poured into my mind, and I saw the concerning signs of a meticulously prepared attack. To my concern and equal surprise, it looked as if the mysterious forces were preparing an attack on the biggest but most heavily fortified cities of Arcadia—the Dungeon Cities, to be precise.

"This makes no sense..." I whispered and slowly shook my head.

With a loud snap of my fingers, I teleported us all to the war room and summoned another situation table. Before I finished, all my wives joined us, as well as magical holograms of Janet, Drake, and Blair. A few moments later, a few pillars of coloured light corresponding to the other Dungeon Cores appeared around the table.

"We are going to be attacked in the following days or weeks," I informed everyone, which visibly shocked them. "The Dungeon Cities of Wolf Manor, Glimmervale, and Westwood have to prepare for an assault of unknown forces. Moreover, Bob and Ceallach, you should prepare as well. We must keep the knowledge about incoming attacks secret so as not to alert our enemies. Blair, I believe that you have enough soldiers to repel anything. Janet, I'm taking control of all naval assets in Arcadia. You will be in charge of Everlight until further notice."

"Yes, Sir!" Blair and Janet saluted and stepped back. I saw them giving orders, but their avatars remained silent.

"Drake, your forces are in the middle of the wilderness between Glimmervale and Wolf Manor. You are also close enough to Ceallach, so your forces can act as flexible support."

"We are ready to move in less than a day, but I will make preparations to move on a moment’s notice, my Lord. I just need a few hours to prepare. I will train with low-intensity drills to preserve as much strength as possible and preserve the appearance of training in case we are watched."

"Excellent." I nodded and moved my hand over the map. All units were rapidly responding with their preparedness levels. It looked like everyone was ready. "I'm afraid that warning the people too early might alert our enemies."

Demesne laughed. "Good luck hurting our people. We will hide them in pocket dimensions where nothing can find them. We will be ready, Lord Theon."