1877 Three Sides of the War (Part 1)

"But I can." Solus said with a warm smile. "Thanks to our bond, our energy signature is identical so even after we craft a Spirit Crystal, I can still help Lith."

The Blue Phoenix found her lovely even with her dress dirtied by the fumes of their failed experiments and the sweat from the long hours of hard work. He prided himself on being open-minded and fair, yet jealousy had started to creep in.

'They sleep under the same roof, she smiles like that only at him, and they share even the fucking same energy signature.' Aerth thought in ill-concealed envy. 'It's no wonder that all of Lith's girlfriends dumped him.'

Lith was too happy to notice his distress. Jirni truly was his goddess of luck. She had given him back the hope that he had believed to be completely lost.

'I'm sure that with her help, I can bargain a decent deal with the Royals. I don't care if I have to marry Peonia or become a damn Magus. I'll do everything I need to find Meln and make him pay tenfold for what he did to Dad.' He thought.

'The world already knows me as a monster and my life force is crippled. I have neither the time nor luxury to be picky. Since I can't be happy myself, I'll make sure that Solus and my family have the life they deserve.

'Yet nothing I do will truly matter as long as Meln's shadow looms over them. Even if it's the last thing I do, even if it costs me my life, I have to kill Night and Meln with her.'

***

City of Valeron, Capitol of the Griffon Kingdom, Royal Throne Room.

Jirni had been true to her word and from the day of her return, she had fought on Lith's behalf to ease the terms for his full pardon. Household Ernas had always had great political influence, but after Morn's death, they had become even more powerful.

Orion had taken Morn's place as General of the Army and with the Council of the Headmasters backing them, their authority was second only to the Royal Court. On top of that, Vastor seconded every of Jirni's motions, becoming another thorn in the Royals' side.

It was great for Lith, but not so much for the King.

He didn't actually care about Hogum. The more the Archon dug into the Baronet's past, the more evidence she brought to the light that the Frenon had been an unwitting puppet in the hands of the Undead Courts.

That and the torture of an innocent citizen were enough to sentence him to death for high treason, if not for Hogum being already dead.

The Royal Forgemasters were pissed off for the theft of Syrook's corpse and the shaman's crystal, but Meron thought differently.

"Who cares about a dead Dragon when we can have a living Tiamat?" He always replied. "As for the crystal, we have bigger and purer gemstones in our mines. It's no big deal."

The King didn't know of the exceptional size and purity of the crystal, nor about Vastor's tracking device embedded in it and the tower turning it white.

"This is the first and probably the only opportunity we have to bring Verhen into our fold. Not only is he a skilled and talented mage, but also a powerful Divine Beast that the Council holds in high regard.

"We need to force upon him conditions that will ensure us his complete loyalty and cooperation. This way, his army of shadows will help us win this war. His Light Mastery will allow the Royal Forgemasters to reach new heights.

"If he marries Peonia, the Royal bloodline will be strengthened. On top of that, their children would also bridge between the human and the beast society. No matter who wins the War of the Griffons, Thrud has shown Mogar that Emperor Beasts are more than animals.

"They can shapeshift, they are mages as powerful as any human, and their physical prowess is unrivaled. If we want to thrive as a country and gain a solid foothold on Jiera, we'll need their help.

"That's why I've chosen you for this mission, Constable Yehval." The King said.

"You are a dear friend of Verhen like Archon Ernas, but unlike her, you've proven to be more sensitive to the needs of the Kingdom. She has let her personal interests cloud her judgment and must be replaced.

"Your duty is to use every means at your disposal to convince Verhen to come back on our terms."

"This goes beyond my duty as a Constable." Kamila slightly flushed in embarrassment.

"I don't care what you have to say or do as long as you complete your mission." Meron slammed his fist on the armrest. "Making him accept the marriage is your top priority. If that fails, we can use a new Magus."

"Considering what you are asking me to do, wouldn't it be better to convince Verhen to share his work first?" Kamila asked.

"Silly child." The King chuckled. "If he marries Peonia, his work will be shared anyway. We'd have a powerful ally and a Magus. Why choose when you can have both? Also, members of the Royal family having affairs is hardly a novelty.

"Unless Peonia takes the test to become the next ruler of the Kingdom and succeeds, having an open relationship is not an issue. After all, this is merely a business transaction. It can and will be renegotiated if necessary.

"Whatever you promise Verhen, it will be up to you to keep your word or not."

Kamila gave the King a deep bow before taking her leave, but when she turned around, she found Queen Sylpha staring at her in the eyes.

"Before you go, I want to remind you how much there is at stake. Without Verhen, there will be no army of shadows at our service. Without him, our already strained relationship with the Council may break.

"Thrud is slowly winning this war. Humans cannot take on Awakened Beasts and immortal undead alone. If the Mad Queen wins, her Unwavering Loyalty array will replace the courts of justice, making Constables like you useless.

"People like Archmage Vastor, who fought strenuously against her, would become enemies of the state. They would lose everything they have and their families trialed with them for treason.

"This isn't just about bringing an Archmage back into our fold. It's about saving your career, the life of your sister, her children, and all your colleagues. If Thrud wins, we are all going to suffer and life as we know it will end forever.

"So I don't care if you have feelings for your ex or not. I don't care about your moral scruples. The integrity of a single person is but a small sacrifice if it means saving millions of lives." The Queen took a long pause, to let her words sink in.

"When you enrolled in the army, you took an oath to protect and serve this country. When you became a Constable, you took the oath to defend justice and the lives of the innocents.

"You are maybe the most important Constable in the history of the Kingdom because now you have the lives of us all in your hands."