2061 Ties that Bind (Part 1)

"Don't worry, dear, I'm sure that everything will be fine." Elina said, yet her voice lacked conviction.

The thought of Kamila being kidnapped or subjected to a slave spell for the "greater good" of the Kingdom haunted Lith's mind until he finally fell asleep right beside Solus' wisp.

A few hours later, Elina's call woke him up and lifted a burden from his chest. Kamila had returned late because she had been involved in the political chaos that had ensued Belius' fall, but not in the way he had feared.

The nobles wanted some important heads to roll, the Council wanted an advance payment as compensation for its losses, and the Royals had to deal with them all while also find a way to break the news to the public without causing mass hysteria.

"Unless we find a way to soften the blow, the consequences of Thrud's victory will destroy the morale." Kamila said to explain her prolonged absence. "The Griffon Kingdom has gotten both outsmarted and outpowered.

"Saving Prode and Vesta will be perceived as due diligence whereas losing Belius will further undermine the public trust in the Royals. Ever since the war started, they achieved no real victory and people are starting to think that maybe Thrud deserves the throne.

"The regions she has occupied fare no worse than our own and many local lords at the frontlines are tempted to switch sides just to not be in the crossfire anymore. As for regular people, they just want to go back to their old life.

"Between the rationed food, the conscription, and the constant fear of being invaded, if the citizens start thinking that this has turned into a losing battle, they won't hesitate to revolt. If that happens, the war will be as good as lost.

"The Royals cannot afford to fight on two fronts at the same time."

"Okay, I get that." Lith replied. "What I fail to understand is why they needed your presence. No offense but you are no strategist and even before our marriage ruined your reputation, the Royal Court barely registered your existence."

"None taken." Kamila sighed. "You are right on all counts but one. As the wife of a future Magus, they needed me to set the date for the ceremony and discuss who of your family and friends would attend."

"Is that what you meant when you talked about softening the blow?" Lith said in shock. "Why didn't the Royals or Jirni just call me?"

"They did, but you were already asleep and there was no point leaving a message." She replied. "As I told you, the situation is dire and there was no time to wait for your answer.

"They'll release the news about your appointment as a Magus and Belius' capture at the same time. Besides, I knew how hurt Solus was and I didn't want to burden you with politics while her life was still hanging on a thread. The three of us are in this together."

"Thanks, Kami. Without Solus' wits and with my head up my ass from exhaustion, I might have been easily manipulated." Lith said.

"You're welcome, but I mean it. We're literally in this together. I've tried to leave your parents out of the ceremony but I'm going to attend with you."

"What do you mean, tried?" Lith's paranoid mind could already picture some traitorous noble luring his parents out of the Desert to handle them to Thrud in exchange for a seat in her Court.

"Well, the event will be broadcasted in the whole Kingdom and if you go there alone, it will be clear that you don't trust the Royals farther than you can throw them. The purpose of the ceremony is to show a united front against the Mad Queen and instill hope.

"Not to sow more discord and doubt. On top of that, do you have any idea how hard it is to keep your mother away from you on such a special occasion? When I told Elina that she couldn't witness your coronation, she almost bit my head off."

"Oh, gods." Lith was glad to be still sitting on the bed or his knees would have buckled.

"And don't get me started about your father. He was already adamant about not leaving you alone, but when he heard that Tista has to attend as well, he stopped listening to everything I said."

"Why Tista?" Lith asked.

"She's been caught on camera as a Demon during the slaughter of the Hogum household. Her presence is requested to both show the renewed bond between the Verhens and the Kingdom after Raaz's kidnapping and to personally receive her own Royal Pardon." Kamila replied.

"That's great." Lith's voice oozed sarcasm. "At this point, the only way to keep my parents from following us would be to kill them."

"I'm sorry, babe. I've done everything I could. Maybe you'll have better luck. When are you coming back?"

"Soon." A quick check on the tower core and Solus' wisp confirmed to him that she had fully recovered.

Even the mana crystals in the Mine and the magical metals stored in the Crucible had started to regain their luster.

"Go get some sleep, Kami. You deserve it. We'll Warp home as soon as Solus wakes up." The word home strung both their hearts, reminding them that their special place in Belius was lost, maybe forever.

Once Berion had cut off the array system, the hurricane had damaged many buildings and destroyed those closest to the eye of the storm. It had been a good tactical move to make the recapture of the city easier and to force Thrud to spend a great amount of her limited resources to repair the damage.

Yet to Lith and Kamila meant that maybe one of the walls of their apartment might have crumbled and that the things that they couldn't take away had been destroyed or scattered by the wind throughout the city.

"You know, it's hard to say what hurts me the most." Kamila said after a long silence. "If the idea that our home has been destroyed or that it might be intact and other people now live there.

"I don't want anyone to sleep in our bed or eat on our plates."

"I know what you mean." Lith had never brought clothes to Belius because everything he needed was stored in his armor.

Also, being a rented apartment, all the magical appliances were provided by the army. The only things he had ever bought were cookware to prepare the meals, the mattress to replace the one he shredded when he shapeshifted in his sleep, and a few knick-knacks.

Nothing he should have felt any attachment for, yet he did.

He remembered every single pot and pan he had bought once he had realized that Kamila's love for good food matched her lack of cooking skills. Lith treasured every moment they had spent in the kitchen preparing together her favorite dishes and teaching her to cook his own.

A smile appeared on his face at the thought of how many times Kamila had burned the baking tray in the attempt to prepare the best next thing to Earth's lasagna that Mogar had to offer.

She had never cooked before and with the overtime required of her while he worked as a Ranger, she had little free time.